Hemodialysis in Sharjah

What is haemodialysis?

Haemodialysis takes over the cleaning job of failing kidneys. Blood flows from your body through soft tubing into a filter, often called an artificial kidney. Inside the filter, a special fluid on the other side of a thin membrane draws out waste products, extra salt and surplus water. The cleaned blood then returns to you through a second needle or channel.

To carry this volume of blood safely, dialysis needs reliable access to your circulation. The preferred route is an arteriovenous fistula, a joining of an artery and a vein in the forearm or upper arm, which makes the vein larger and stronger over the following weeks. Some people start with a dialysis line, a soft tube placed in a large vein in the neck or chest, while a fistula matures.

Sessions take place at a dialysis centre, usually three times a week. At Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah, the nephrologist leads the planning: deciding when dialysis is the right step, arranging the centre and the access, and keeping watch over your wider kidney health.

Who needs it

Haemodialysis is for people whose kidneys have reached failure, the final part of chronic kidney disease, which is graded in stages 1 to 5. It is also used for a short period in some cases of sudden kidney injury while the kidneys recover.

The decision rests on the whole picture rather than a single blood result: fluid building up in the lungs or legs, rising potassium, persistent nausea, itching, poor appetite and growing tiredness all count. Your nephrologist talks through each option with you, including peritoneal dialysis at home, preparation for a transplant assessment at a transplant centre, and supportive care focused on comfort. The choice reflects your health, work, family and wishes.

In the UAE, diabetes and high blood pressure are the leading reasons people reach this point, so good control of both remains part of care once dialysis begins.

What happens

Care starts with a consultation with the nephrologist, blood and urine tests and, where helpful, a kidney ultrasound. The nephrologist then refers you to a vascular surgeon for fistula creation, a short operation usually done under local anaesthetic; see vascular surgery. Planning the fistula months ahead gives it time to mature before your first session.

The nephrologist arranges your place at a dialysis centre within your insurance network and sends your records ahead. At each session, a nurse places two needles into the fistula, connects you to the machine and monitors your blood pressure throughout. Most people read, rest or watch something during treatment. Your weight is checked before and after, because the difference shows how much fluid was removed.

Your nephrologist reviews your regular blood results, adjusts the dialysis prescription with the centre and manages the medicines that go alongside it: for blood pressure, anaemia, bone health and phosphate control.

Preparing for it

• Protect your fistula arm. Ask staff to take blood pressure readings and blood samples from the other arm, and avoid tight sleeves, watches or sleeping on it.
• Keep your veins in good condition by letting the dialysis team choose where drips and blood tests go, well before a fistula is made.
• Bring a list of every medicine, including herbal remedies and supplements, since many need dose changes on dialysis.
• Ask your insurer early about pre-approval and which dialysis centres are in your network.
• Plan transport and timing for regular sessions around work and family.

Afterwards

Many people feel tired for a few hours after a session, and this often eases as the body settles into a routine.

Between sessions, fluid and diet matter a great deal. Your nephrologist sets a daily fluid allowance, which counts soup, ice and fruit with high water content. Limiting salt makes thirst easier to manage, a real help in the UAE heat. Potassium and phosphate limits guide choices such as dates, bananas, dried fruit, dairy and cola drinks, and your nephrologist explains which foods to reduce; a renal dietitian can be arranged by referral. Protein needs usually rise on dialysis, so check with your nephrologist before using gym protein supplements or restricting protein yourself. If you plan to fast during Ramadan, discuss it well in advance so your sessions and fluid plan can be adjusted.

Check your fistula every day by feeling for the buzz, called a thrill, over it.

Call emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department if you become breathless, have chest pain, or your fistula bleeds and firm pressure fails to stop it. Contact the dialysis centre or your nephrologist urgently if the buzz in your fistula stops or weakens, or if the arm becomes red, hot or swollen.

Cost and insurance

Most UAE insurance plans cover haemodialysis, but pre-approval is usually required and cover often applies only at approved dialysis centres. Consultations, tests and follow-up with the nephrologist are billed separately from sessions at the centre. Confirm your cover on 06 599 7777.