Expert Urges Peritoneal Dialysis For VI
Clinical education specialist Lynn Hodge-Walters has called on healthcare authorities to introduce peritoneal dialysis in the Virgin Islands. She emphasized that the home-based, overnight treatment offers patients a gentler and more flexible alternative to traditional in-clinic hemodialysis. The push coincides with ongoing efforts by the Robert A. Mathavious Memorial Trust to enhance kidney care across the territory.
A Virgin Islands clinical education specialist has urged local healthcare stakeholders to reconsider offering peritoneal dialysis as a viable, flexible, and gentle treatment option for patients battling kidney failure. Lynn Hodge-Walters, who serves as a Senior Manager of Clinical Education with Fresenius Kidney Care in Texas, outlined the primary treatment paths for advanced kidney disease, which include hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and kidney transplants.
Currently, patients receiving hemodialysis must attend an outpatient clinic three times a week for sessions lasting between three and a half to four hours. This routine often comes with demanding physical recovery periods and significant disruptions to everyday work and family life.
In contrast, peritoneal dialysis involves the surgical insertion of a small tube into the abdomen. Patients connect to an automated machine that cleanses their blood of toxins and excess fluid overnight while they sleep, allowing them to disconnect in the morning and go about their normal daily routines without an exhaustive recovery period.
Hodge-Walters highlighted the experience of the late Dr. Robert Mathavious, who utilized peritoneal dialysis for seven to eight years. She noted that the treatment allowed him to maintain his demanding professional and personal schedule from home rather than remaining tied to an outpatient clinic's operational hours.
According to Hodge-Walters, peritoneal dialysis was initially rejected as an option for the territory during discussions in the mid-1990s when the local dialysis unit was first conceptualized. However, after three decades, she believes the healthcare community must revisit the therapy as a cost-effective, family-friendly initial treatment choice.
Her call to action aligns with the objectives of the Robert A. Mathavious Memorial Trust, an organisation dedicated to improving kidney disease prevention, treatment, and patient care throughout the Virgin Islands.
Primary source: VINO