Clinical advantages of peritoneal dialysis.

Chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD) continues to be an option in the treatment of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Medical, social, and logistic considerations are needed to determine the most suitable dialysis option for an ESRD patient. Peritoneal dialysis has been advancing in terms of technique, new exchange systems, and a new generation of solutions. A survival advantage for PD patients has been noted over the first 1 - 2 years after the onset of the dialysis. Most patients may need both dialytic modalities in time, and therefore the sequence of the treatment options is important. Compared with hemodialysis patients, PD patients seem much more satisfied in most of the studies that evaluate quality of life during treatment. A preference for PD may be more advantageous in the pre-transplantation period. Moreover, much lower doses of erythropoietin have been shown to be sufficient for PD patients. Also, PD has been reported to protect residual renal functions better in many studies.