DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA), a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), today announced its nocturnal dialysis patient population has reached a milestone, with 1,000 patients having received this life-saving treatment in more than 90 DaVita(R) centers around the nation. DaVita has one of the largest nocturnal patient populations in the country.
Introduced at DaVita in July 2004, nocturnal dialysis is a form of treatment that allows patients to dialyze in-clinic while sleeping overnight - offering kidney care patients the freedom to receive renal replacement therapy while still maintaining a full and active schedule by day, even allowing patients to continue working. Nocturnal dialysis is gentler on the system than conventional dialysis, taking place over approximately six to eight hours while the patient sleeps instead of the three to four hours of daytime treatments. The longer treatment time allows for reduced flow rates, which can be helpful for patients who have complications from conventional dialysis. Patients on nocturnal dialysis often enjoy reduced dependency on blood-pressure medications and an overall improved feeling of wellness.
"DaVita continues to improve care by moving toward a patient-centric approach to modality offerings, which pairs patients with the right modality for their medical needs and social circumstances," said Allen R. Nissenson MD, DaVita's Chief Medical Officer. "DaVita's nocturnal program is an integral part of this approach that continues to grow and better our patients' lives."