A treatment that does some of the work of failed kidneys, removing waste products and excess fluid from the blood. It is needed in kidney failure (end-stage kidney disease) when kidney function is too low to keep the body healthy. It is usually a long-term treatment.

What are the two main types of dialysis?

Haemodialysis filters the blood through a machine and dialyser, usually about three times a week in a centre (or at home for some). Peritoneal dialysis uses the lining of your abdomen as a filter, with fluid run in and drained out through a soft tube, done at home. Your team helps you choose.

Are there alternatives to dialysis?

For some people, a kidney transplant is another option, now or in future. For others, especially some frail or older people, conservative or supportive care (managing symptoms without dialysis) is a valid choice. These are decisions to talk through with your kidney team.

Living with Dialysis in Singapore: A Guide

Q: Does dialysis replace everything the kidneys do?

No. It replaces some but not all kidney function, removing waste and fluid but not fully replacing every job. So diet, fluid limits and prescribed medicines still matter and are managed with your team. Looking after these is central to staying well on dialysis.

Q: Where can I get dialysis support in Singapore?

Through hospital renal teams and charities such as the National Kidney Foundation Singapore and the Kidney Dialysis Foundation, which run dialysis centres and offer patient and caregiver support. For emergencies call 995; for emotional support, SOS is on 1767 and mindline.sg on 1771.

Written & reviewed by the BestDoctors.sg editorial team · Last updated 28 Aug 2026 · General information, not medical advice

Dialysis is a treatment that does some of the work of failed kidneys, removing waste products and excess fluid from the blood. Starting dialysis is a major change, and it is natural to feel daunted, but with the right treatment, diet and support, many people continue to work, travel and live active lives. This guide introduces what dialysis is, the two main types, and where to find support in Singapore, a country with a large kidney-care community.

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In a medical emergency, or for severe or sudden symptoms such as breathing difficulty, chest pain, fainting or stroke signs, call 995 immediately.

This is general information and does not replace the advice of your kidney (renal) team. Never miss or shorten a dialysis session without contacting your unit, as waste and fluid build up dangerously. Contact your unit at once for cloudy peritoneal-dialysis fluid or a hot, red access site, and call 995 for severe breathlessness or access bleeding that will not stop.

What dialysis is

Healthy kidneys clean the blood, removing waste and excess fluid and helping to balance salts and control blood pressure. When the kidneys fail, these jobs are no longer done well enough to keep the body healthy, and dialysis takes over some of that work. As the NHS explains, dialysis is needed in kidney failure, also called end-stage kidney disease, when kidney function has dropped too low. It is a long-term treatment, and for many people a way of life rather than a short course.

Why people need it

Dialysis is needed when the kidneys can no longer keep waste products, fluid and salts at safe levels. In Singapore, diabetes and high blood pressure are common causes of kidney failure. Without treatment, waste and fluid build up, causing symptoms and, eventually, becoming life-threatening. Dialysis manages this so people can stay well, and it is one of the options discussed alongside a kidney transplant. Our dialysis options guide and overview of dialysis cover the choices in more detail.

The two main types

There are two main types. Haemodialysis filters the blood through a machine and a filter called a dialyser, usually about three times a week in a dialysis centre, though the exact schedule is set by your team, and it can be done at home for some people. Peritoneal dialysis uses the lining of your own abdomen, the peritoneum, as a filter, with dialysis fluid run in and drained out through a soft tube, and is done at home. Each is covered in its own guide, and your team helps you choose.

It replaces some, not all, kidney function

An important thing to understand is that dialysis replaces some but not all of what the kidneys do. It removes waste and fluid, but it does not fully replace every kidney job, so diet, fluid limits and prescribed medicines still matter and are managed with your team. This is why looking after your fluid balance, potassium, phosphate and salt, and taking your medicines, remain a central part of staying well on dialysis, covered in our fluid and diet guide.

Transplant and conservative care

Dialysis is not the only path. For some people, a kidney transplant is another treatment option, either now or in the future, and your team will discuss whether it may suit you. For others, particularly some frail or older people, conservative or supportive care, which manages symptoms and quality of life without dialysis, is a valid and considered choice. These are decisions to talk through openly with your kidney team, weighing what matters most to you.

Your care team

Dialysis is delivered by a team. This usually includes a nephrologist (kidney doctor), renal or dialysis nurses, a renal dietitian, a renal social worker, and an access surgeon who creates the fistula or catheter you need. Around them, a pharmacist helps manage your medicines. Knowing who does what, and keeping your unit’s contact details to hand, makes living with dialysis far more manageable, and there is always someone to call.

Living a full life, and support in Singapore

Dialysis is demanding, but it does not have to take over your whole life. Many people continue to work, travel with planning, exercise and enjoy time with family. In Singapore, dialysis and kidney care are provided through hospital renal teams and through charities such as the National Kidney Foundation Singapore and the Kidney Dialysis Foundation, which run dialysis centres and offer patient and caregiver support. For any emergency, call 995, and if you are struggling emotionally, SOS is on 1767 and mindline.sg on 1771. Singapore has a large and well-supported dialysis community, with many dialysis centres and support charities around the country, so you are truly far from alone in facing this, and practical and emotional help is never far away when you need it. With good support, and a routine that becomes familiar over time, life on dialysis can still be full and meaningful. Many people who dreaded starting dialysis are surprised, months later, by how much of their normal life they have been able to keep.

Sources

NHS – Dialysis: nhs.uk
National Kidney Foundation – Dialysis: kidney.org
Kidney Care UK – Treatments: kidneycareuk.org
NHS – Kidney disease, living with: nhs.uk

General information only. This guide supports, but does not replace, the advice of your kidney (renal) team, who set your dialysis, diet, fluid limits and medicines. Never miss or shorten a dialysis session without contacting your unit, and protect your fistula arm (no blood-pressure cuffs, blood tests or tight clothing on it). Contact your dialysis unit at once if your drained peritoneal-dialysis fluid looks cloudy or you have tummy pain and fever (a possible peritonitis), or for a hot, red, painful or leaking access site. Call 995 for bleeding from your access that will not stop with firm pressure, or for severe breathlessness (a possible dangerous fluid overload). If you are struggling emotionally, you are not alone: the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) are on 1767 and mindline.sg on 1771.

Living with Dialysis (Singapore)