Dialysis removes waste and fluids from your body that your kidneys are not able to remove. Dialysis also aims to keep your body in balance by correcting the levels of various toxic substances in your blood. Without dialysis, all patients with complete kidney failure would die from the build up of toxins in the bloodstream. Principles of dialysis There are two main types of dialysis: haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Whichever treatment is chosen, the aims of dialysis are very similar: dialysis is designed to replace several functions of the kidney. The therapy must: remove waste products, remove excess fluid and balance the amount of chemicals (electrolytes) and other substances in your body. Effective dialysis requires: a semipermeable membrane, blood supply, dialysis fluid and a method of removing excess fluid.