title: [Home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis compared].
abstract: The evolution of home dialysis marked the main steps in the progress of renal replacement therapy. From the origins when home hemodialysis was often the only alternative to death, to the advent and widespread use of peritoneal dialysis, the dream of kidney transplant as a solution to all problems (at least in the young), and ultimately the profound social and organizational changes that have led to a drastic reduction of home hemodialysis, we arrive at the present with the rediscovery of the clinical, rehabilitative and economic advantages of home dialysis. Seven experts from five different centers with different expertise in home dialysis report their opinions on the future of home dialysis in a ''noncontroversial controversy''. Beyond the sterile competition between peritoneal dialysis and home hemodialysis, the shared opinion is that the two methods may complement each other, allowing a tailored treatment for each patient and a tailored organization in each setting. The organizational solutions are many; the authors underline the importance of longer survival and better rehabilitation, and the ethical need of offering each patient a choice among all available treatments. Add to this the importance of dedicated educational programs targeted to physicians, nurses and patients alike and focused on self-care and patient empowerment. A new generation of dialysis machines, easier technical solutions, and financial incentives may strengthen motivations and simplify problems; all these elements may in the near future be combined in a joint effort to increase peritoneal dialysis and revive home hemodialysis in Italy.
authors.affiliation: Nefrologia, A.S.O.U. San Luigi, Orbassano, Torino, Italy. gbpiccoli@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Giorgina Barbara
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Piccoli
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferraresi
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caputo
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Quarello
authors.forename: Maria Rosa
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Viganò
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mascia
authors.forename: Loreto
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gesualdo
mesh_terms: D006437:Hemodialysis, Home; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis