Ultrafiltration Treatment in Heart Failure

Heart failure is a common disorder in the general population and causes serious mortality and morbidity. Diuretic agents are generally used in addition to salt and water restriction in its treatment. However, an insufficient response and some adverse affects restrict the usage of diuretics. Furthermore, it is believed that diuretic agents also increase neurohumoral activation that has been cited in the pathogenesis of heart failure. Ultrafiltration is a treatment method based on the convective clearance of water and solutes and has been used for a long time in the treatment of diuretic-resistant heart failure. In this review article, we discuss the place of ultrafiltration in the treatment of heart failure.