Liver dialysis is a detoxification treatment for liver failure and decompensated liver. It is similar to hemodialysis and based on the same principles. Like a bioartificial liver device, it is a form of artificial extracorporeal liver support. A critical issue of the clinical syndrome in liver failure is the accumulation of toxins not cleared by the failing liver. The removal of lipophilic, albumin-bound substances such as bilirubin, bile acids, and metabolites of aromatic amino acids, medium-chain fatty acids and cytokines should be beneficial to the clinical course of a patient in liver failure.

Liver dialysis is a process which removes toxins from the liver in order to sustain patients until a liver transplant can be done. Liver dialysis is considered a very temporary solution for transition to liver transplant. The act of liver filtration can be effective at removing toxins from the liver for several weeks to a few months, taking some of the strain off the ailing organ.