Surgical complications of peritoneal dialysis

These include:

• leakage around the catheter site:
  • avoid by applying a purse-string suture
    
    
• blood staining of the dialysate:
  • this is normal, especially when treatment is commenced
    
    
• poor drainage:
  • check position of catheter
  • consider adding heparin to the dialysate
    
    
• mechanical effects of increased abdominal pressure:
  • abdominal herniae
  • haemorrhoids
  • oedema of external genitalia
  • back pain
  • hydrothorax
    
    
• visceral puncture:
  • life-threatening but rare