Kidney Failure Center - Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara Nephrologist Doctors for Kidney FailureType 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 Santa Barbara * Michael B Fisher & Thomas R Allyn MD Inc  Michael B Fisher & Thomas R Allyn MD Inc  David W Doner Jr. MD  David W Doner Jr. MD  Darol D Joseff MD  Sansum Clinic Internal Medicine  Vista Del Mar Medical Group Inc  Vista Del Mar Medical Group Inc  Vista Del Mar Medical Group Inc  Vista Del Mar Medical Group Inc  Vista Del Mar Medical Group Inc  Vista Del Mar Medical Group Inc  Vista Del Mar Medical Group Inc  Conejo Nephrology & Medical Group  Muthiyaliah Babu MD  Valley Renal Medical Group  Nephrology & Internal Medicine Affiliate  Nephrology & Internal Medicine Affiliate  Central Nephrology Medical Group Inc  Central Nephrology Medical Group Inc  Central Nephrology Medical Group Inc  Advanced Kidney Medical Group  Advanced Kidney Medical Group  Advanced Kidney Medical Group  Advanced Kidney Medical Group  Advanced Kidney Medical Group  Drs Richards & Shook  Valley Renal Medical Group  Valley Renal Medical Group  Ram V Patak MD  Marie-Therese Pean MD  Kern Nephrology Medical Group  Kern Nephrology Medical Group  Nephrology & Hypertension Consultants  Nephrology & Hypertension Consultants  Nephrology & Hypertension Consultants  Bakersfield Neuro Science & Spine Institute  Facey Medical Foundation Mission Hills  Facey Medical Foundation Mission Hills  Drs Shtorch Kalife & Farahmandian  Drs Shtorch Kalife & Farahmandian  Magurdich Balabanian MD  Magurdich Balabanian MD  Magurdich Balabanian MD  Balbir Singh MD  Earl M Gordon MD  Frederick J Karubian MD  Mark Nachman MD  Fawad Zafar-Khan MD  VA West Los Angeles Healthcare Center  Edwin J Jacobson MD  Drs Danovitch & Wilkinson  UCLA School of Medicine Dialysis Program  Mark Song MD  Drs Danovitch & Wilkinson  Morey Wolfe & Penton MDs  Morey Wolfe & Penton MDs  Morey Wolfe & Penton MDs  Drs Waldman, Musngi & Shwayder  Drs Waldman, Musngi & Shwayder  Drs Waldman, Musngi & Shwayder  Michael Blumenkrantz MD  Abe Green MD  Jay Doostan MD  Moutaz Almawaldi MD  Best Healthcare  Sunset Urgent Care  Drs Agre Arieff Chung and Sonnenfeld  Drs Agre Arieff Chung and Sonnenfeld  Synergy Hematology Oncology Medical Associates Inc  Klein Medical Associates  Synergy Hematology Oncology Medical Associates Inc  Cannon Medical Group  Cannon Medical Group  Cannon Medical Group  Klein Medical Associates  Amnon A Licht MD  Ramin Gabbai MD  Pacific Nephrology Medical Group  Tower Nephrology Medical Group  Marshal P Fichman MD  Tower Nephrology Medical Group  Richard S Horowitz MD  Tower Nephrology Medical Group  Tower Nephrology Medical Group  Tower Nephrology Medical Group  Tower Nephrology Medical Group  Tower Nephrology Medical Group  Payman Vahedifar MD  Stephen Copen MD  Dr Mark Barats  Vita Medical Center  Nachman Brautbar MD  Firooz Pak MD Inc  George Fouladian MD  Alfred Rahban MD  Pagiel Shechter MD  Associated Primary Care Physicians  Jabir R Sharif MD  Angel Kidney Care Santa Barbara, CaliforniaUpcoming Local Events2012-06-02
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Kidney FailureRead the Kidney Failure article » What are the kidneys?The kidneys play key roles in body function, not only by filtering the blood and getting rid of waste products, but also by balancing levels of electrolyte levels in the body, controlling blood pressure, and stimulating the production of red blood cells. The kidneys are located in the abdomen toward the back, normally one on each side of the spine. They get their blood supply through the renal arteries directly from the aorta and send blood back to the heart via the renal veins to the vena cava. (The term "renal" is derived from the Latin name for kidney.) The kidneys have the ability to monitor the amount of body fluid, the concentrations of electrolytes like sodium and potassium, and the acid-base balance of the body. They filter waste products of body metabolism, like urea from protein metabolism and uric acid from DNA breakdown. Two waste products in the blood can be measured: blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr). When blood flows to the kidney, sensors within the kidney decide how much water to excrete as urine, along with what concentration of electrolytes. For example, if a person is dehydrated from exercise or from an illness, the kidneys will hold onto as much water as possible and the urine becomes very concentrated. When adequate water is present in the body, the urine is much more dilute, and the urine becomes clear. This system is controlled by renin, a hormone produced in the kidney that is part of the fluid and blood pressure regulation systems of the body. Kidneys are also the source of erythropoietin in the body, a hormone that stimulates the bone marrow to make red blood cells. Special cells in the kidney monitor the oxygen concentration in blood. If oxygen levels fall, erythropoietin levels rise and the body starts to manufacture more red blood cells. After the kidneys filter blood, the urine is excreted through... Recommended Reading Related to Kidney FailureWhat 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... Emergency Contact for Santa Barbara
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Cirrhosis (Liver)
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Dehydration
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Gout
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Malaria
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Diabetes Insipidus
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Pulmonary Hypertension
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Low Blood Pressure
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Hyperkalemia (High Blood Potassium)
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Restless Leg Syndrome
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Hydronephrosis
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Renal Artery Stenosis
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Hypertensive Kidney Disease
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Hypercalcemia (Elevated Calcium Levels)
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