In the nephrology department, we often hear the word ‘dialysis’. What is dialysis and what pain can dialysis help our patients to relieve? Today we will lead you to find out. What is dialysis Dialysis (Hemodialysis), clinically means the removal of some waste products from the blood through a semi-permeable membrane. Hemodialysis is one of the safer, easier to perform and widely used methods of blood purification. Classification of dialysis Dialysis is broadly divided into: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. In addition, there is also colon dialysis, which was developed by Chinese medicine relying on dialysis technology. Hemodialysis Hemodialysis, or hemodialysis for short, also known as artificial kidney or dialysis, is a type of blood purification technology. It uses the principle of semi-permeable membrane to purify the blood by diffusing and convecting various harmful and excess metabolic wastes and electrolytes out of the body, and to correct the water-electrolyte and acid-base balance. Indications for hemodialysis Acute renal failure. Acute drug or poison poisoning. Chronic renal failure. Renal failure before kidney transplantation or rejection after transplantation that renders the transplanted kidney non-functional. Other diseases (liver failure, psoriasis, etc.). Contraindications There are no absolute contraindications to hemodialysis, but not all patients are suitable for hemodialysis. Children over 70 years of age or under 4 years of age often have difficulty maintaining hemodialysis and are better off on peritoneal dialysis. Patients with malignant tumors, Alzheimer’s disease, cerebrovascular disease, etc. who cannot sustain life for long; patients with chronic liver disease, shock or cardiovascular function who can tolerate extracorporeal circulation; those who are at risk of severe bleeding; patients with abnormal mental uncooperative and family members who do not agree cannot do hemodialysis. Can dialysis be suspended? Some patients who are doing dialysis always ask questions about whether dialysis can be suspended. When I was transferred to the endocrinology department, I saw some patients who had “diabetic nephropathy” but did not go to the nephrology department because they were afraid of dialysis, which made them fearful of “dialysis”. But whether the patient can suspend dialysis, depending on the patient’s own condition, to know the hemodialysis machine commonly known as artificial kidney, it only replaces the non-functional kidney to ensure the operation of human metabolism, it does not have the curative effect of rehabilitation of the kidney. For patients with acute renal failure, dialysis can be stopped when renal function is restored, while patients with end-stage uremia can only rely on regular hemodialysis or kidney transplantation to extend their lives.