Beginning this month, Islanders requiring peritoneal dialysis are able to receive life-sustaining treatment and support on the Island, says Minister of Health and Wellness Robert Henderson.
“Since 1976, these patients had to travel to the QEII Home Dialysis Clinic in Halifax for catheter insertion, several days of teaching, on-going assessment and follow-up care,” said Minister Henderson. “With the support of the provincial renal clinic at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, they no longer have to travel off-Island for assessment and follow-up care.”
Currently, there are 13 Islanders receiving peritoneal dialysis, which can be performed in the home as it is less invasive than the traditional hemodialysis treatment. During the peritoneal procedure, the blood is cleaned inside the patient’s body, whereas in hemodialysis it passes through an artificial kidney machine to be cleaned before re-entering the body.
"The addition of a peritoneal dialysis service is a historic step forward for the PEI Renal Program and I am very excited about the future of renal care on Prince Edward Island,” said Dr. Derek Chaudhary, PEI Renal Program Medical Director. “With continued community and government support, we are hopeful that home-based renal therapy will grow, allowing more patients to receive effective renal therapy in the comfort of their own homes with complete Island-based supports, and that our program can fully support Islanders living with kidney disease at any stage well into the future.” Dr. Chaudhary also expressed his gratitude to colleagues working with the QEII Home Dialysis Clinic for their support over the years.
Peritoneal dialysis helps preserve a person’s remaining kidney function, controls blood pressure and has fewer dietary and fluid restrictions. It allows individuals to enjoy greater independence and improved quality of life because they can take the treatment at home at a time of day convenient for them.
Since 2012, a series of provincial government investments were made to modernize and expand the provincial renal program. A new $2.7 million hemodialysis unit was constructed at the PCH in 2011 and another new unit opened at the QEH in 2012. Provincial renal program offices were co-located at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and two nephrologists were hired as well as specialized renal nurses, dieticians and social workers. A $750,000 expansion of the Souris Dialysis Unit was completed in 2015, along with the purchase of a state of the art water filtration system.
For more information on the PEI Renal Program, visit www.healthpei.ca/dialysis