Ultrafiltration in heart failure.

Managing volume overload is essential for the treatment of symptomatic heart failure. Traditionally, it is achieved with oral and intravenous diuretics. Alternatively, the excess fluid can be removed via ultrafiltration. Modern technology has made this latter option more feasible than before for routine clinical practice. In this article we review the existing literature on the use of ultrafiltration for treating volume overload states in patients with heart failure.