(December 13, 2007 - Insidermedicine) Those whose kidneys are no longer functioning may be able to receive dialysis from a device that they can wear on their bodies rather than travel to a special treatment center to be hooked up to a hemodialysis machine, according to research in The Lancet.

Here are some facts about hemodialysis:

•    For individuals whose kidneys have failed, hemodialysis replaces the kidneys as a method of cleansing the blood of toxins.

•    Worldwide, nearly 1.3 million individuals require dialysis or a kidney transplantation to live.

•    While hemodialysis is effective, it requires being hooked up to a large machine for many hours, several days a week and does not do as good a job of cleansing the blood as a functioning kidney, which cleanses the blood continuously.

Researchers from University College London fitted five men and three women, whose average age was nearly 52, with a wearable hemodialysis machine for four to eight hours. All of these individuals had failing kidneys that made them dependent on conventional hemodialysis.

The portable machine cleansed the blood nearly as well as a conventional hemodialysis unit. However, since this portable device could theoretically be used far longer than a person could be hooked up to a conventional unit, it has potential to keep the blood as clean or cleaner. Importantly, the patients all found the portable unit comfortable and were even able to sleep while wearing it.

The authors warn that the portable unit needs to be studied more intensively to ensure it is safe and effective, but they conclude that it does appear to have potential as an alternative to conventional hemodialysis, offering patients not only a better quality of life but possibly better health as well.

For Insidermedicine in Depth, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.