Patients Share Their Experiences With Expanded HD
As DaVita expands access to Expanded hemodialysis (HD), some patients who have recently started the treatment have shared positive personal experiences, including changes in how they feel day to day. These individual stories reflect patients’ perspectives and experiences and should not be interpreted as evidence of clinical outcomes for all patients.
Real-World Patient Experiences
The experiences below are anecdotal and reflect individual patient perspectives. Patients may respond differently to treatment, and individual experiences do not establish clinical outcomes.
- “I can see the treatment that I’m taking now was improving my health,” Audreynell, a DaVita dialysis patient, says. “When I got off dialysis, I felt better.”
- “I could see it,” Denise, another DaVita patient, says. She shares she’s lost 20 pounds since starting Expanded HD. “I could see my future because of the new dialyzer.”
Watch the Video
Hear these patients describe their personal experiences after starting Expanded HD. Individual experiences vary, and these stories reflect patients’ own perspectives.
Addressing the Unmet Need
Standard high-flux hemodialysis successfully filters small waste particles from the bloodstream but struggles to efficiently remove larger, more complex toxins known as middle molecules.
- When a patient’s kidneys fail, this toxic buildup steadily accumulates and is scientifically linked to chronic inflammation and cardiovascular challenges.
- It also contributes to a heavy daily symptom burden, including exhaustion, poor sleep quality, and extended recovery periods following dialysis treatments.
Expanded HD leverages a specialized dialyzer — like Nipro’s ELISIO-HX — to fit into existing dialysis machines in DaVita centers without requiring major infrastructure changes. This filter is able to safely clear stubborn middle molecules during treatment while retaining essential proteins.
Go Deeper: Understanding Middle-Molecule Clearance Treatment Options
- FDA approval for Nipro ELISIO-HX has created a pathway to providers to deliver advanced middle molecule clearance to patients, and DaVita is scaling its rollout of the newly approved treatment across its centers.
Learn more about DaVita’s next steps: DaVita Rapidly Scales Expanded HD to Target Hard-to-Remove Toxins - By expanding the range of treatment options available, nephrologists can further individualize therapy based on each patient’s clinical needs and preferences. Some patients have reported feeling better after starting Expanded HD, while ongoing research continues to evaluate its impact across broader patient populations.