Home Dialysis Equipment

Hello everyone,
My father is a diabetic and he is diagnosed with the kidney infection and the doctor says he needs to go on dialysis. I do not much about this. My father lives in India and I am sure things down there are not as available as they are here in terms of treatment.
I have started reading about different equipment available to do home dialysis. Does anyone know about what the options are in US to get the equipment and send it overseas? Pros? Cons? Supplies availability? Anyone has any similar experiences?

Any input is appreciated. Please advise.

Thanks
Suresh

Wow, this is hard one…there are many used machines out there for sale…some only $500…while others can cost up to $5000. The problem is knowing how to use them, maintain them and fix them…that’s where it really becomes a barrier…

I think the most important is finding a supporter/provider of dialysis machines in India…but buying a used machine is risky business especially when you don’t know anything about dialysis machines…

So far the best machine for dialysis in the situation your father is having might be NxSage because it’s very easy to operate and doesn’t require much resources…the thing is I wonder if NxStage would send it’s life saving machine overseas…

Anyway, wish you luck on your researching and hope your father finds the right solution…will be praying for both of you!..

According to Global Dialysis there are 79 dialysis centers in India. You can find the India listings at by city at www.globaldialysis.com/cities.asp?countrycode=IN. I don’t think all the listings are complete for the 79 centers but I suspect all offer in-center dialysis. You may or may not be able to tell which ones offer training and support for home hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. I’d suggest that your father ask his doctor about his options. The doctor should know where he can get training for home dialysis, if this is what he wants to do. I found a listing for Karnataka Nephrology and Transplant Institute in Banglore, India that offers center and home dialysis as well as transplant and has posted some educational information as well as links to related sites at www.kanti.com.

By the way, in the US when a dialysis clinic teaches a patient to do home dialysis, it makes sure the patient gets the necessary equipment and supplies to do it

You can read about the types of dialysis and a little about home dialysis training under Types of Home Dialysis on this website. If your father has access to the Internet, I’d encourage him to read all he can too.

Thanks for you input. It is greatly appreciated.
There is a dialysis center in the city where my father lives. We are planning to go ahead with the in-center dialysis for now.

Eventuallly, I think it is better for my father to have control on this whole process. I will keep researching about the options. I will try to provide him with the resources and information available.

Does anyone know if there are any educational videos available about the treatment etc.?

Thanks again for the wishes and the input.