Dialysis Center - Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto Nephrologist Doctors for DialysisType of Physician: Nephrologist What is a Nephrologist? A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners treat disorders of the kidney, high blood pressure, fluid and mineral imbalance, dialysis of body wastes when the kidneys do not function, and consultation with surgeons about kidney transplantation. Specialty: Nephrology Common Name: Kidney Doctor Nephrologist Doctors in Palo Alto * Drs Alvarez Gottheiner & Ng  Drs Alvarez Gottheiner & Ng  Drs Alvarez Gottheiner & Ng  Stanford University Medical Ctr  Nephrology Clinic at Stanford  Nephrology Clinic at Stanford  Charles A Feldman MD  El Camino Renal Medical Group  El Camino Renal Medical Group  El Camino Renal Medical Group  Kaiser Medical Center Hayward Nephrology  Kaiser Medical Center Hayward Nephrology  Kaiser Medical Center Hayward Nephrology  Kaiser Medical Center Hayward Nephrology  Chabot Nephrology Medical Group  Chabot Nephrology Medical Group  Chabot Nephrology Medical Group  Chabot Nephrology Medical Group  Chabot Nephrology Medical Group  Chabot Nephrology Medical Group  Chabot Nephrology Medical Group  Chabot Nephrology Medical Group  Drs Yumena & Nicholson  Lunny Strong Tay Ahn & Wong MDs  Lunny Strong Tay Ahn & Wong MDs  Lunny Strong Tay Ahn & Wong MDs  Lunny Strong Tay Ahn & Wong MDs  Lunny Strong Tay Ahn & Wong MDs  Alexander D Doan MD  Alexander D Doan MD  Addy Squarer MD & Lewis L Haut MD  Addy Squarer MD & Lewis L Haut MD  Rashmii Jain MD  David Sugarman MD  Chaplin L Liu MD  Valley Medical Consultants  South Bay Renal & Hypertension  Habib Tobbagi MD  John Ku MD  Chabut Nephrology Medical Group  Chabut Nephrology Medical Group  Northern Peninsula Infectious Diseases Medical Group  Sutter East Bay Medical Foundation  East Bay Nephrology Medical Group  East Bay Nephrology Medical Group  East Bay Nephrology Medical Group  East Bay Nephrology Medical Group  East Bay Nephrology Medical Group  Westbay Nephrology Associates  Barry Chantrelle MD  Westbay Nephrology Associates  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center  Westbay Nephrology Associates  Seton Medical Group  Renal Medical Associates  Renal Medical Associates  East Bay Nephrology Medical Associates  East Bay Nephrology Medical Associates  East Bay Nephrology Medical Associates  East Bay Nephrology Medical Associates  East Bay Nephrology Medical Associates  Kok-Tong Ling MD  East Bay Nephrology Medical Associates  Meyer D Cohen MD  Fred Lui MD  J David Malone MD PC  Joan Saxton MD  Kidney Transplant Service UCSF Medical Center  UCSF Nephrology  Lynda A Frassetto MD  UCSF Nephrology  UCSF Nephrology  UCSF Nephrology Associates  UCSF Nephrology  Kidney Transplant Service UCSF Medical Center  Kidney Transplant Service UCSF Medical Center  Hanlon Fong MD  Alan J Coleman MD  David J Menke MD  Renal Medical Associates  CPMC Kidney Transplantation  Renal Medical Associates  Pacific Heights Medical Group  Drs Chan, Hettena, Nakashima & Schrader, Santiesteban  CPMC Kidney Transplantation  Charles T Lynch MD  CPMC Kidney Transplantation  CPMC Kidney Transplantation  Renal Medical Associates  Drs Chan, Hettena, Nakashima & Schrader, Santiesteban  CPMC Kidney Transplantation  David A Goldberg MD  S Jack Kronfield MD  Kaiser Permanente Nephrology  Kaiser Permanente Nephrology  Nephrology Dept  Nephrology Dept  UCSF VA Medical Center  Diablo Nephrology Palo Alto, CaliforniaUpcoming Local Events2012-06-16
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DialysisWhat is dialysis?The kidneys are responsible for filtering waste products from the blood. Dialysis is a procedure that is a substitute for many of the normal duties of the kidneys. The kidneys are two organs located on either side of the back of the abdominal cavity. Dialysis can allow individuals to live productive and useful lives, even though their kidneys no longer work adequately. In the United States, there are over 200,000 people who use dialysis techniques on an ongoing basis. Dialysis helps the body by performing the functions of failed kidneys. The kidney has many roles. An essential job of the kidney is to regulate the body's fluid balance. It does this by adjusting the amount of urine that is excreted on a daily basis. On hot days, the body sweats more. Thus, less water needs to be excreted through the kidneys. On cold days, the body sweats less. Thus, urine output needs to be greater in order to maintain the proper balance within the body. It is the kidney's job to regulate fluid balance by adjusting urine output. Another major duty of the kidney is to remove the waste products that the body produces throughout the day. As the body functions, the cells use energy. The operation of the cells produces waste products that must be removed from the body. When these waste products are not removed adequately, they build up in the body. An elevation of waste products, as measured in the blood, is called "azotemia." When waste products accumulate they, cause a sick feeling throughout the body called "uremia." When do patients require dialysis?
Recommended Reading Related to DialysisWhat is creatinine?Creatinine is a chemical waste molecule that is generated from muscle metabolism. Creatinine is produced from creatine, a molecule of major importance for energy production in muscles. Approximately 2% of the body's creatine is converted to creatinine every day. Creatinine is transported through the bloodstream to the kidneys. The kidneys filter out most of the creatinine and dispose of it in the urine. Because the muscle mass in the body is relatively constant from day to day, the creatinine production normally remains essentially unchanged on a daily basis. Why is it important to check blood creatinine levels?The kidneys maintain the blood creatinine in a normal range. Creatinine has been found to be a fairly reliable indicator of kidney function. Elevated creatinine level signifies impaired kidney function or kidney disease. As the kidneys become impaired for any reason, the creatinine level in the blo... Other Related Dialysis ArticlesEmergency Contact for Palo Alto
Nearby Palo Alto Hospitals *Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Menlo Park Surgical Hospital Stanford Hospital & Clinics VA Palo Alto Health Care System Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center Sequoia Hospital El Camino Hospital San Mateo Medical Center Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center Fremont Hospital Mills Hospital Washington Hospital Kaiser Permanente Hayward Medical Center St Rose Hospital Mills-Peninsula Health Services O'Connor Hospital Santa Clara Valley Medical Center El Camino Hospital of Los Gatos Good Samaritan Hospital San Jose Eden Medical Center Regional Medical Center of San Jose Good Samaritan Hospital Mission Oaks Alameda County Medical Center Fairmont Campus John George Psychiatric Pavilion San Leandro Hospital Kindred Hospital San Francisco Bay Area Seton Medical Center Coastside Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical Center Alameda Hospital ValleyCare Health System Pleasanton Seton Medical Center Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center Alameda County Medical Center Highland Campus St Luke's Hospital Livermore Division of the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System San Francisco General Hospital San Ramon Regional Medical Center Valley Memorial Hospital Laguna Honda Hospital & Rehabilitation Center Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Summit Campus Kaiser Permanente Medical Center at Oakland California Pacific Medical Center Davies Campus UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus Saint Francis Memorial Hospital Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland Chinese Hospital St Mary's Medical Center Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion California Pacific Medical Center Pacific Campus California Pacific Medical Center East Campus California Pacific Medical Center California Campus Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Alta Bates Campus Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Herrick Campus San Francisco VA Medical Center Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center Dominican Hospital John Muir Medical Center Walnut Creek Campus Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
Suggested Reading on Dialysis by Our Doctors
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Related Diseases & Conditions
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Kidney Failure
- Kidney failure can occur from an acute event or a chronic condition or disease. Prerenal kidney failure is caused by blood loss, dehydration, medication. Some of the renal causes of kidney failure are from sepsis, medications, rhabdomyolysis, multiple myeloma, and acute glomerulonephritis. Post renal causes of kidney failure include bladder obstruction, prostate problems, tumors, or kidney stones. Treatment options included diet, medications, or dialysis.
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Lupus
- Systemic lupus erythematosus is a condition characterized by chronic inflammation of body tissues caused by autoimmune disease. Lupus can cause disease of the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, joints, and nervous system. When only the skin is involved, the condition is called discoid lupus. When internal organs are involved, the condition is called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
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Kidney Cancer
- There are several types of kidney cancer, including renal cell cancer (renal adenocarcinoma or hypernephroma), transitional cell carcinoma, and Wilms tumor. Symptoms of kidney cancer include blood in the urine, an abdominal lump or mass, chronic pain in the side, and tiredness. Treatment of kidney cancer--which may include surgery, arterial embolization, radiation therapy, biological therapy or chemotherapy--depends upon the stage of the disease and the patient's overall health.
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Sepsis
- Sepsis (blood poisoning) is a potentially deadly infection with signs and symptoms that include elevated heart rate, low or high temperature, rapid breathing and/or a white blood cell count that is too high or too low and has more than 10% band cells. Most cases of sepsis are caused by bacterial infections, and some cases are caused by fungal infections. Treatment requires hospitalization, IV antibiotics, and therapy to treat any organ dysfunction.
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Thrombocytopenia (Low Platelet Count)
- Thrombocytopenia refers to a decreased number of platelets in the blood. There are many causes of thrombocytopenia such as decreased platelet production (viral infections for example rubella, mumps, chickenpox, hepatitis C, and HIV); increased platelet destruction or consumption (for example sulfonamide antibiotics, heparin, blood transfusions, and lupus); or increased splenic sequestration (enlarged spleen due to conditions for example liver disease, blood cancers, and more). Treatment of thrombocytopenia depends on the cause.
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Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that causes chronic inflammation of the spine. The tendency to develop ankylosing spondylitis is genetically inherited.
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Encephalopathy
- Encephalopathy means brain disease, damage, or malfunction. Causes of encephalopathy are varied and numerous. The main symptom of encephalopathy is an altered mental state. Other symptoms include lethargy, dementia, seizures, tremors, and coma. Treatment of encephalopathy depends on the type of encephalopathy (anoxia, diabetic, Hashimoto's, hepatic, hyper - hypotensive, infectious, metabolic, infections, uremic, or Wernicke's) are examples of types of encephalopathy.
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Hypercalcemia (Elevated Calcium Levels)
- Hypercalcemia is a condition in which calcium levels in the blood are elevated. Hypercalcemia is associated with other conditions such as hyperparathyroidism, lung cancer, breast cancer, kidney failure, and elevated levels of vitamin D. Symptoms of hypercalcemia include constipation, nausea, abdominal pain, kidney stones, to name a few. Treatment depends on the cause of hypercalcemia.
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Polycystic Kidney Disease
- Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is characterized by numerous cysts in the kidneys. Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic disorder. There are two major inherited forms of PKD, autosomal dominant PKD, and autosomal recessive PKD. Symptoms include headaches, urinary tract infections, blood in the urine, liver and pancreatic cysts, abnormal heart valves, high blood pressure, kidney stones, aneurysms, and diverticulosis. Diagnosis of PKD is generally with ultrasound, CT or MRI scan. There is no cure for PKD, so treatment of symptoms is usually the general protocol.
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Arsenic Poisoning
- Arsenic comes in two forms, inorganic and organic. Organic arsenic poisoning is usually not poisonous to humans; however, inorganic arsenic in large enough amounts can lead to shock and death. Symptoms of arsenic poisoning include nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dehydration, dark urine, vertigo, delirium, shock, and death. Treatment for arsenic poisoning includes Hemodialysis and a variety of drugs.
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Diabetes and Kidney Disease
- In the United States diabetes is the most common cause of kidney failure. High blood pressure and high levels of blood glucose increase the risk that a person with diabetes will eventually progress to kidney failure. Kidney disease in people with diabetes develops over the course of many years. albumin and eGFR are two key markers for kidney disease in people with diabetes. Controlling high blood pressure, blood pressure medications, a moderate protein diet, and compliant management of blood glucose can slow the progression of kidney disease. For those patients who's kidneys eventually fail, dialysis or kidney transplantation is the only option.
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Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
- Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a diseases in which blood clots within the capillaries. Causes associated with HUS include E. Coli, birth control pills, pneumonia, medications such as chemotherapy, Ticlid, and quinine. Symptoms of HUS include gastroenteritis, abdominal cramping, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. Diagnosis of HUS includes medical history, physical examination, and medical tests. Treatment includes rest, fluids, possible hospitalization for blood transfusion or complications due to kidney failure.
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Renal Osteodystrophy
- Renal osteodystrophy is a bone disease. The kidneys fail to maintain required levels of phosphorous and calcium in the blood. Renal osteodystrophy is common in patients with kidney disease and affects dialysis patients. Diagnosis is performed with a blood sample, and in some cases a bone biopsy. Medication is the general treatment for renal osteodystrophy.
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Fabry Disease
- Fabry disease (Fabry's disease, alpha-galactosidase-A) is a genetic disorder with symptoms such as burning sensations in the hands, small-raised reddish-purplish blemishes on the skin, fever, decreases sweating, and GI difficulties. Fabry disease patients are at increased risk of heart attack, heart disease, kidney failure, and stroke. Symptoms of Fabry disease can be treated with medication.
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Kidney Dysplasia
- Kidney dysplasia is a condition in which one or both of a baby's kidneys do not develop normally. In kidney dysplasia, cysts replace normal kidney tissue. Signs of kidney dysplasia include enlarged kidneys and, rarely, high blood pressure. A child with kidney dysplasia may not have any symptoms. Genes and maternal exposure to certain drugs may cause kidney dysplasia. Regular checkups should include blood pressure measurements, kidney function tests, and urine testing for protein.
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Kidney Failure
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Medications
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Procedures & Tests
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Pictures, Images & Quizzes
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Doctor's & Expert's Views
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Health News
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