There are two main types of procedures for dialysis – peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis. In hemodialysis, your blood is pumped into a dialysis machine which acts as an artificial kidney before the blood returns to your body. 

Peritoneal dialysis could be continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). In both types, the doctors surgically insert a catheter into your belly. They then fill the lining (peritoneum) with a cleansing fluid (dialysate). The fluid contains sterile water, electrolytes (potassium, bicarbonate, and sodium), and removes the wastes from the blood. The dialysate is then drained from the body.