What to Expect at Your First Appointment
As you may know, in-center hemodialysis appointments require three or more hours of sitting in a dialysis chair. So, it’s essential to:
- Wear comfortable clothing that allows easy access to your vascular access site for dialysis.
- Pack a blanket, hat, sweater, and socks (especially if you get cold easily).
- Bring a book, smartphone, tablet, earphones, or hobby (e.g., crossword puzzle, adult coloring pages, etc.) to keep you entertained during treatment.
A friendly front office staff member will greet you when you arrive at one of our Innovative Renal Care centers. They will help you get checked in, which may include paperwork (e.g., medical questionnaires, insurance forms, and patient bill of rights). You must also bring your insurance card and driver’s license so copies can be made and filed.
Once it is time for treatment, a clinical staff member (e.g., registered nurse or dialysis technician) will take your vitals to help inform your unique treatment requirements:
- Weight
- Temperature
- Blood pressure
- Respiratory rate
Once your paperwork and vitals are complete, you will be escorted to a dialysis chair. Your nurse or technician will then:
- Clean your vascular access site with a solution to kill any bacteria.
- Connect to your access point.
- Connect a caterer tube from your access point to the dialysis machine.
Once the machine is adjusted to your unique treatment needs, the arterial needle will move blood from your body to the dialyzer (filter inside the dialysis machine). The vascular needle will return your cleaned blood to your body.
During dialysis treatment, your blood will cycle through the dialyzer 15 to 20 times, and only about 12 ounces will be outside your body at any time.