Nephrology

Across our UAE hospitals and clinics, we care for people living with kidney disease at every stage. Our nephrology teams work to protect kidney function, provide dialysis when it's needed and support patients who may benefit from kidney transplantation. Much of our work is the long-term care that keeps people well between hospital visits.

What is nephrology?

Nephrology is the medical care of the kidneys, which filter your blood, balance the body's water and salts, and help control blood pressure and red blood cell production. A nephrologist diagnoses and manages conditions such as chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure and glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the kidneys’ filters).

The nephrology team also manages dialysis and assesses and prepares suitable patients for kidney transplantation. Care often continues over many years, with regular monitoring of kidney function and treatment as your needs change.

Areas within nephrology

Dialysis: Treatment that takes over some of the kidneys' work, removing waste products and excess fluid when they can no longer keep up, either through a machine or the lining of the abdomen.

Kidney transplant surgery: Assessment and preparation for transplantation, and ongoing medical care before and after transplant. A healthy kidney from a living or deceased donor, offering an alternative to long-term dialysis for suitable patients.

When should you see a nephrologist?

Book an appointment if you notice:

• Swelling in your ankles, feet or hands
• Blood or foam in your urine
• Passing much less urine than usual
• Tiredness or new shortness of breath
• High blood pressure that is difficult to control
• Abnormal kidney function
• Protein or blood detected in urine tests

If you suddenly pass much less urine than usual, or these symptoms come on quickly, seek urgent medical advice, as this can be a sign of acute kidney injury.

You might also see a nephrologist without having any symptoms at all. Diabetes and high blood pressure are among the most common causes of kidney disease, so if you live with either, you'll often have your kidney function checked regularly and a nephrologist involved if the results change. Your GP or another doctor usually arranges the referral, for example after a routine test result.

What to expect

At your first appointment, the nephrologist reviews your history, your medicines, and previous test results. They also examine you and check your blood pressure. Most people have blood tests to measure kidney function, and urine tests to look for protein or blood. Sometimes a scan of the kidneys is arranged, and occasionally a small tissue sample is taken for a kidney biopsy. The nephrologist explains what each test looks for.

Treatment depends on what the tests show. For many people, the aim is to protect kidney function with medicines for blood pressure, changes to diet and fluids, and careful management of diabetes. If the kidneys fail, dialysis can replace some of their function, and a kidney transplant may be an option. Your nephrologist will talk you through the choices and agree the next step with you.

Nephrology at Mediclinic

We provide kidney care in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. Most of this care centres on dialysis, which we run in our hospital units and in dedicated dialysis centres in Dubai. Our haemodialysis service supports both outpatients and inpatients. We also provide continuous dialysis in intensive care and peritoneal dialysis. Specialist dialysis nurses and dietitians support people through this treatment. Our nephrologists also create the access it needs, such as an arteriovenous fistula or a catheter. For people who may benefit from a transplant, we carry out regular assessment and referral, and continue their care afterwards. We also spend time helping people understand their condition and manage it day to day, and we offer holiday dialysis for visitors who need treatment while they're in the UAE.