Peritoneal Dialysis in Patients with Abdominal Surgeries and Abdominal Complications

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is an excellent treatment option for the patients with end-stage renal disease, having been shown to yield improved patient satisfaction and economic benefit. Many surgeons and physicians believe that patients with prior abdominal surgeries or other abdominal complications are not viable candidates for PD and that prevalent PD patients needing abdominal surgery should be switched to hemodialysis. The purpose of the present review is to address those misconceptions.Our review of literature shows that, when appropriately planned, PD can still be an acceptable option for patients with end-stage renal disease and certain abdominal complications, including abdominal surgery, provided that the peritoneum is not compromised. Anticipating complications-and changing the PD prescription accordingly-can allow many such patients to continue PD without any interruption, thus maintaining their lifestyle and avoiding an increase in medical expense.