Renal Satellite Dialysis Unit

What is dialysis?

Dialysis is a treatment that’s used when your kidneys stop working properly, usually due to chronic kidney disease. It cleans your blood by filtering out waste products and fluid that your kidneys would usually get rid of as urine.

What we do

Rotorua Hospital has a Renal Satellite Dialysis Unit enabling haemodialysis for patients from across the region. This is a satellite of the Regional Renal Service based at Waikato Hospital.

It is open six days a week with morning and afternoon sessions.

Haemodialysis involves the use of a pump, which pumps the blood in a circuit from the body through an artificial kidney, and back to the body.

As the blood goes through the artificial kidney the waste products move across a membrane and the waste products are removed from the blood.

A dialysis session takes between four to six hours, and is usually required three times each week.

For more information on kidney disease and haemodialysis click here. 

The unit also works with patients receiving Peritoneal Dialysis, which is an at-home treatment.

Peritoneal Dialysis is a treatment modality for patients with chronic kidney disease which is managed by health consumers at home.

It involves a process where the peritoneal cavity in the abdomen acts as the filter to remove waste and toxins from the body.

Our team

Amanda Keen – Clinical Nurse Manager

Robyn Hawkins – Clinical Nurse Specialist Peritoneal Dialysis

Helga Unteregger – Clinical Nurse Specialist Peritoneal Dialysis

Ruthy Te Kaawa - Clinical Nurse Specialist 

Contact

(07) 343 7785 or email.

The Renal Satellite Dialysis Unit is next to the main visitor car park. There is limited parking for patients.