Department of Nephrology (Kidney) at Orchid Hospital

By Orchid | March 17, 2021March 17, 2021

The kidney is an important organ of the body. They are 2 in number.

Kidneys help in maintaining normal hemostasis of the body. It’s major functions include:

• Blood filtration and purification,
• Maintainance of acid-base balance,
• Maintainance of fluid and electrolysis,
• Help in the maintenance of normal blood pressure,
• Keeps bone metabolism in a balanced state.

When the kidney starts failing all these functions compromises, resulting in signs and symptoms related to kidney disease. With the adaptation of modern lifestyle, we are witnessing a rise in kidney diseases in the general population. Most unfortunate thing is that in the majority of cases, diagnosis of kidney diseases occur at a very late stage when the chance of kidney function recovery becomes very thin. Very often this occurs due to lack of awareness related to kidney problems in the general population as well as in doctors too. Some people fall in the high-risk group of development of renal diseases like diabetes, hypertension, kidney stones, chronic heart disease, chronic liver disease, patients having a family history of kidney diseases.

Newborn or patient in early childhood having structural and functional abnormalities of the urogenital system. Elderly male patients having difficulty in urination, frequent urinary tract infection, people with smoking habits, drug abuse history, these group of people requires regular screening and check-ups for early identification of kidney diseases.

Based on the duration of problem kidney diseases are divided into 2 broad categories.

• Acute Kidney Injury (AKI)
• Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

AKI – When kidney disease starts within the 3-month duration, patients usually present with swelling of legs, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, decrease in urine output. When it is timely identified, in most cases it can be cured. patients sometimes may require hemodialysis support for a short duration and hemodialysis stops after recovery of kidney functions.

CKD – When kidney dysfunction duration is for more than 3 months, it is called CKD or Chronic Kidney Disease. The patient usually shows an increase in the frequency of urination especially during the night, a generalized sense of weakness and easy fatigue, anaemia, loss of appetite in early stages. In the late stages of CKD, a patient may experience problems like swelling of legs, breathlessness, decrease in urine amount and frequency, nausea – vomiting etc. In the early stages of CRD, it is possible to stop the progression of kidney diseases while in later stages nephrologist can offer treatment for prevention of complications of CKD, renal replacement therapy when required.

Based on which functional part of a kidney involved first and/ or predominantly it can be divided into 2 categories.

• Glomerular diseases
• Tubulointerstitial diseases

Glomerular diseases: Glomerulus is the functional unit of the kidney that participate in the filtration of blood. The patient usually showcases early onset of swelling of the body, increase in blood pressure, blood and protein leakage in urine. It can sometimes be so aggressive that the patient requires hemodialysis support within a few days of onset of symptoms. Timely identification and proper treatment under expert nephrologists can help in most of the cases.

Tubulo interstitial diseases: Tubulointerstitial is the functional unit of executing the function of kidney. Patients usually show

non-specific symptoms. Diagnosis can be missed in the early stages. If severe kidney dysfunction occurs in early stages, it may require dialysis support Dialysis support is required when kidney suffers irreversible damage.

You have an option: Treatment & Support at Orchid Medical Centre

We provide comprehensive and complete kidney care at our hospital. We believe in not only in preventive aspects of kidney diseases and hemodialysis support but we also offer you curative treatment of kidney problem whenever possible. We have facilities of treatment of AKI, CKD, Glomerular diseases, genetic and inherited diseases of kidney, kidney biopsy, hemodialysis SLED facility having most of the tests for diagnosis of kidney diseases available at our centre. We have very good ICU support for care and treatment of critically ill patients too. Our dialysis unit supported by export dialysis technicians, nurses and each dialysis is done under my supervision and physical presence. If you face any kidney-related problem then you can visit Orchid Medical Centre from 10 am 6 PM.

Treatments done at the Department of Nephrology, Orchid Hospital

• Renal Biopsy
• H Catheter Insertion
• Permacath insertion
• AKI
• CKD
• AV Fistula Surgery
• DJ stenting
• Glomerular diseases
• Hemodialysis SLED