Patient Education: Division of Nephrology and Hypertension
Overview
What is nephrology?
Nephrology refers to the field related to medical conditions of the kidney. 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 and mineral 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 various types, such as urinary tract infections, kidney stones, diabetes, high blood pressure and the more advanced form of kidney disease, permanent kidney failure (End Stage Renal Disease or ESRD).