What is CAPD?

Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (often just called ‘the bags’) is one type of peritoneal dialysis. It cleans your body, helps to control the water and replaces the work of the diseased kidneys.

The peritoneal catheter

The catheter, also called the tube or Tenckhoff, is a soft tube about the thickness of a pencil and 30 to 40 centimetres long.
During a simple operation the catheter is placed into the peritoneal cavity, with about 10 to 15 centimetres being kept outside of the body.
The part of the tube in the peritoneal cavity has lots of tiny holes to allow the dialysis fluid to go in and out. The part under the skin has a cuff, a bit like Velcro, to keep it in place.
The part outside the body has a special connector on the end, to which a short extension tube is then attached. The special peritoneal dialysis fluid bags can be attached to the extension tube when dialysis is needed. The extension tube can be changed easily at the dialysis unit every six months. This is how the catheter looks between exchanges.