Overview

What is Nephrology?
Nephrology refers to thefield related to medical conditions of the kidney, and the nephrologist treats people with kidney diseases of various types, including those who have lost kidney function entirely and must rely on dialysis or kidney transplant.

Nephrology also includes illnesses caused by abnormalities of the body's water andmineral balance,hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetes related kidney diseases.

What is the role of the Nephrologist?
The nephrologist treats people with kidney diseases of varioustypes, such as urinary tract infections, kidney stones, diabetes, high bloodpressure and the more advanced form of kidney disease, permanent kidney failure(End Stage Renal Disease or ESRD). 

What are the kidneys and What are their functions?
The kidneys are organs that primarily remove waste from the body in the formof urine. The body has two kidneys, but if one of them is damaged or stopsworking, the body can usually function with the remaining kidney. If bothkidneys stop functioning due to disease, patients experience end-stage renaldisease (ESRD), or total kidney failure. If not treated immediately, patientscan die within days due to the build-up of toxins and fluid in their blood. Morethan 300,000 Americans today have ESRD and are dependent on dialysisto stay alive.Other functions include filtering toxins from the blood, help toregulate blood pressure and the balance of certain important nutrients such aspotassium, calcium, phosphate and magnesium.

What does a nephrologist treat?

• Nutrition
• Medications
• Dialysis - Although Dialysis is not a cure, it is a life-saving process that artificially replaces the functions of the kidney. There are two types of dialysis: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Hemodialysis involves removing blood from the body and filtering it in a machine. Peritoneal Dialysis is internal or in-body dialysis. Peritoneal dialysis entails use of a blood-cleansing solution called "dialysate" that is instilled via a catheter places into the peritoneal cavity, the region of the abdomen that is lined by the peritoneum. The dialysate works to extract toxins and excess fluid from the blood. After a period of time, the solution is then drained from the body cavity. 
• Transplantation - Patients can receive a kidney transplant and regain successful kidney functions. The best possible source of kidney donation is a close relative whose blood and tissue type match the patient's. Other sources of donated organs include cadavers and living donors who are not blood relatives, such as a spouse or friend. New anti-rejection drugs have improved the success rates of transplants from organ donations outside blood relatives.

External Resources

• Georgetown Medical Center
• Total Renal Care, Inc.
• National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Brochures
  Free publications and Fact Sheets about diseases, treatments, diet, etc.

Professional Organizations   The American Society of Nephrology American Heart Association American Kidney Fund National Kidney Foundation Occupational Safety and Health Administration Polycystic Kidney Research Foundation TransWeb (Transplantation and donation) United Network for Organ Sharing US Renal Data System American Nephrology Nurses' Association American Society for Artificial Internal Organs American Society of Pediatric Nephrology Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiatives Environmental Protection Agency Food and Drug Admin. Health Care Financing Admin. International Society of Nephrology International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis Medicare National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Hypertension, Dialysis & Clinical Nephrology American Association of Kidney Patients Dialysisfinder™  Travel help for patients/social workers Dialysis Units in the USA™ Message Board - Open forum for patients and professionals treating End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) and other issues related to kidney disease or failure The Kidney Transplant/Dialysis Association, Inc.