Patients with end stage kidney disease are continuing to benefit from peritoneal dialysis.

According to registered nurses Tiana Outerbridge and Loumeeka Orgill-Bell, the treatment option has been successful since its reintroduction in 2015 with more than ten Bermuda Hospitals Board patients currently managing “well” at home.

“It’s been a success,” Ms Outerbridge told The Royal Gazette. “They’ve been able to travel overseas months at a time to visit family and friends.

“We have patients that work and have been able to continue working without having to jeopardise that by having to come to dialysis appointments — that’s a bit stressful for some employers. The benefit is they are not dependent on having to meet a scheduled time to come into a unit. They have control of their own care by performing the treatment themselves in the comfort of their home, at their workplace or wherever they so choose.”

Ms Outerbridge and Ms Orgill-Bell spoke about kidney failure and the treatment options available in Bermuda at the Hamilton Rotary Club on Tuesday.

“There are five stages of kidney disease,” Mr Orgill-Bell told this newspaper afterwards. “When patients reach stage five, which is designated as end stage kidney disease, they would then have to choose a treatment option to replace what their kidneys would normally do, that is they would have to choose a haemodialysis option, peritoneal dialysis option or transplant if they are a candidate.”

While haemodialysis involves diverting blood to an external machine where it is filtered before being returned to the body, peritoneal dialysis involves pumping fluid into the abdominal cavity via a catheter. Dialysis fluid inserted into the cavity draws waste products out of the blood.

“After four hours or so — depending on the patient’s treatment prescription — then they drain the fluid from their tummy and repeat the process and fill up with new solution to continue on with the peritoneal treatment,” Ms Orgill-Bell explained, adding that it is a daily treatment.

“Peritoneal dialysis has the benefit of preserving one’s kidney function that remains for a longer period of time,” she added.

“It also gives patients a greater sense of knowledge and knowing how to manage their treatment competently and to their benefit in terms of knowing more about their treatment, as well as knowing more about their condition.”

The cost per patient, per month for peritoneal dialysis is $15,801. This includes all supplies and clinical management.

Ms Outerbridge said: “It’s about the same cost as haemodialysis, and that’s mainly because all supplies are shipped in. But it does give the patients the freedom to be the drivers of their own care, they’re not dependant on nursing staff and they’re free to do their normal activities.”

The treatment option was briefly available in Bermuda in the 1980s “but specifically for one or two patients”. Within the first year of being reintroduced, 12 patients signed up to the programme.

According to Ms Outerbridge, kidney disease is a “major problem” in Bermuda, with the greatest risk factors being diabetes and high blood pressure.

“Haemodialysis currently has 151 patients. We have 12 patients in our programme and then you also have the private facility Bermuda Home Dialysis Services.

“We look forward to having more patients although ideally we would want people to manage their chronic conditions so they’re not having to face dialysis at all.”