You will know your hemodialysis treatments are working by how you feel. Most people with kidney failure feel better after starting dialysis treatments. Your appetite usually improves and your energy levels increase. Hemodialysis reduces salt and fluid buildup, so you should have less shortness of breath and swelling as well.

The key to making the most of your hemodialysis treatment is to keep to your ideal “dry weight.” Your ideal dry weight is your weight when you do not have extra fluid in your body. If you are careful about the salt in your diet and the hemodialysis is working, over time, you should be able to reach your ideal dry weight at the end of every hemodialysis treatment. When hemodialysis treatments are working and you keep to your ideal dry weight, your blood pressure should be well-controlled.

In addition, blood tests can show how well your hemodialysis treatments are working. Once a month, whether you are on home or dialysis center hemodialysis, your dialysis nurse will test your blood using one of two types of lab tests:

• Kt/V (A measurement of dialysis dose. Kt/V takes into account how well your kidneys are filtering blood.)is a score given as a number. Experts recommend a minimum Kt/V of 1.2. A single score below 1.2 should not worry you; however, your average Kt/V should exceed 1.2.
• urea reduction ratio(A blood test that compares the amount of blood urea nitrogen before and after dialysis to measure if the dialysis dose is working.) (URR) is a score given as a percentage. Experts recommend a minimum URR of 65 percent. A single score below 65 percent should not be of great concern; however, your average URR should exceed 65 percent.

Both tests look at changes in one specific waste product, called blood urea nitrogen (BUN), to gauge the overall level of waste products in your system. Your BUN is measured before and after a dialysis treatment to see how much of it has been removed.