Nephrology is the diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases including electrolyte disturbances and hypertension, and the care of those requiring renal replacement therapy, including dialysis and renal transplant patients. Many diseases affecting the kidney are not limited to the organ itself, but are systemic disorders, and may require not only a whole patient approach, but also special treatment for conditions such as systemic vasculitides or other autoimmune diseases, such as lupus.
The nephrology department provides a wide range of medical services including:
Consultative Nephrology
Patients with symptoms such as blood in urine, groin pain, burning sensation while passing urine, swelling in the legs or difficulty in passing urine should consult a nephrologist. Sometimes patients are referred to a nephrologist by primary care physicians for abnormalities detected in their urine, medical check-ups and laboratory investigations.
Renal replacement therapies
The therapies available at Mediclinic Welcare Hospital are:
Haemodialysis
Here blood is purified through the dialysis machine and a special external filtering unit. Usually patients with end stage kidney disease require maintenance dialysis three times a week.
Slow continuous therapies
Continuous veno-venous haemofiltration - dialysis available for sick patients in the intensive care unit which require dialysis.
Care of transplant patients (Donor Workup)
Patients who have transplants are followed up as an outpatient. The department also does pre-transplant workup and donor investigations.
