Specialties The Division of Nephrology specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of kidney disease. We offer a full range of services to help our patients prevent or delay kidney failure, and to live healthier, more satisfying lives while managing a kidney disorder.
Disorders and diseases that we help our patients manage
Patients benefit from the expertise and experience of our board-certified nephrologists and three nephrology fellows who treat kidney disorders including:
• Acute and chronic kidney diseases
• Hypertension
• Electrolyte disorders
• End-stage renal disease
We work closely with other medical specialists to develop and provide the most effective treatment regime for each patient.
Procedures that we perform to maintain our patients' health
Hemodialysis
Chronic kidney disease causes kidneys to lose their ability to filter and remove waste and extra fluids from the body. The hemodialysis process uses a synthetic membrane to:
• Clear wastes, such as urea, from the blood
• Restore the proper balance of minerals called electrolytes in the blood
• Eliminate extra fluid from the body
Kidney biopsy
During this diagnostic procedure, a small sample of kidney tissue is removed through a needle and examined under a microscope for signs of cancer, infection or other diseases.
Peritoneal dialysis
Peritoneal dialysis uses a natural filter, a membrane inside the body, to clear wastes and extra fluid from the body and to normalize electrolyte levels.
We train our patients to apply this method of dialysis by themselves.
Blood access for dialysis
Before a patient can undergo hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, we must surgically create an access point that makes it possible to enter the patient's bloodstream.
The different types of access for hemodialysis include:
Hemodialysis catheter. We insert a catheter into a vein in the neck or chest when the patient requires hemodialysis quickly. For long-term hemodialysis, we create a permanent access point, usually in the lower arm.
Fistula. We create a large channel called a fistula by connecting an artery to a vein in the patient's lower arm. A fistula allows repeated access for dialysis sessions.
Man-made fistula or graft. A synthetic channel called a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or Gore-Tex) graft is the most common type of access that we create for hemodialysis.
Peritoneal dialysis requires placing a catheter into the patient's abdomen. We do this approximately 10 to 14 days before the start of regularly scheduled dialysis treatments.
Specific skills and areas of expertise that benefit our patients
The division's nephrologists are particularly skilled and experienced in the following areas that enable us to diagnose and treat our patients' kidney disorders:
• Diagnosis and treatment of electrolyte imbalance
• Evaluation and treatment of complex causes of high blood pressure
• Evaluation and treatment of kidney function abnormalities
• Long-term treatment of chronic kidney disease
Research is an important element of improving patient care
Members of the Division of Nephrology are also on the faculty of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and members of St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center's Department of Medicine. They are committed to participating in leading-edge research involving both institutions.
Advanced facilities and services reinforce our patient treatment capabilities
Through its close association with Continuum Health Partners and St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, our patients benefit from this highly regarded health care network's advanced facilities, services and capabilities including a
• 25-station hemodialysis unit (Upper Manhattan Dialysis Center)
• Supervision of hemodialysis care at other dialysis units
• Fully staffed kidney transplant program
• Nephrology medical education program
Throughout the year, division members support the network's extensive patient services including:
• 5,000 acute hospital dialysis procedures
• 25,000 outpatient dialysis treatments
• 25-30 kidney transplants
• 25 kidney biopsies
Links where you can obtain important medical information
National Kidney Foundation
National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases
Nephron Information Center
American Kidney Fund
Contact division for information, an appointment or consultation
