Testimonial of a patient undergoing long nocturnal home hemodialysis on a conventional cycler.

Abstract

Summary

As a dialysis patient myself, I share here, at his request, the story of Laurent, a 50-year-old dialysis patient who was diagnosed with congenital malformative uropathy at the age of 2. At the age of 25, he was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and received hemodialysis for 5 years.

In 2003, Laurent underwent a kidney transplant in Amiens, resulting in a 17-year period without major complications. However, the constraints of dialysis centers led him to opt for home hemodialysis. With the support of his partner, he learned the necessary procedures.

After more than a year of home dialysis, Laurent discovered long nocturnal dialysis (LNHD) via social networks. After discussing it with his nephrologist, he tried LNHD at home, with 8-hour sessions 3 times a week, adapting to his and his partner’s work schedules.

In the spring of 2023, water quality problems led him to switch to a low-flow dialysate cycler. Technical complications with the Pureflow® osmosis unit led him to return to dialysate bags, causing fatigue and other problems.

After unsuccessfully trialing other equipment, the technicians finally reinstalled an adapted water treatment system, enabling Laurent to return to the conventional generator with water treatment. He quickly regained his previous benefits, underlining the importance of adaptability and collaboration between the patient and the medical team.

In conclusion, home LNHD with a conventional generator and water treatment is currently the treatment mode best suited to Laurent’s needs, enabling him to lead a near-normal life despite the complications. This underlines that caregivers should maintain the possibility of using conventional cyclers even if other new technologies are available.