Mangaluru: An Open Discussion with two Nephrologists from KMC Hospital, Mangalore was held at Hotel Abhiman Residency on Sunday, 8 March, during a public awareness programme as part of “World Kidney Day”. Talks on various subjects pertaining to kidney diseases were delivered by Dr Ashok Bhat and Dr Mayoor Prabhu, both Nephrologists at KMC-Mangaluru. Anjali Shetty-PRO-Marketing, KMC welcomed the gathering and introduced the speakers to the audience.
Addressing the audience, Dr Ashok Bhat said, “India is the diabetes capital of the world, and because of diabetes many Indians are kidney failure patients. Many people who have chronic kidney disease don’t know it because the early signs can be very subtle. It can take many years to go from chronic kidney disease (CKD) to kidney failure. Most people with CKD live out their lives without ever reaching kidney failure. People with stage 3 CKD have about an 80% chance of never having their kidneys fail. At any stage of kidney disease, knowledge is power. Knowing the symptoms of kidney disease can help you get the treatment you need to feel your best. If you or someone you know has one or more of the following symptoms of CKD, or you worry about kidney problems, see a doctor for blood and urine tests. Remember, many of the symptoms can be caused by other health problems. The only way to know the cause of YOUR symptoms is to see your doctor.”
He further said, “There are many different types of kidney diseases.Kidney diseases can lead to end-stage renal disease(ESRD), a condition in which the kidneys fail to work normally. People with kidney failure need to receive dialysis or a kidney transplant.The most common causes of kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, and hardening of the arteries (which damages the blood vessels in the kidney). Some kidney diseases are caused by an inflammation of the kidneys, called nephritis. This may be due to an infection or to an autoimmune reaction where the body’s immune or defence system attacks and damages the kidneys. Some kidney diseases, such as polycystic kidney disease are caused by problems with the shape or size of the kidneys (anatomic disorders), while other kidney diseases interfere with the inner workings of the kidneys (metabolic disorders). Most metabolic kidney disorders are rare, since they need to be inherited from both parents”.
“The symptoms of kidney disease depend on the type of disease that a person has. If the disease is caused by a bacterial infection, the person will develop a high fever. Other signs of kidney disease include passing too much or too little urine, or passing blood or abnormal levels of chemicals in the urine. Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is a kidney disease in which the kidneys cannot remove enough water from the urine to make it concentrated. Kidney disease usually does not cause pain, but in some cases pain may occur. A kidney stone in the ureter (a tube leading from the kidney to the bladder) can cause severe cramping pain that spreads from the lower back into the groin. The pain disappears once the stone has moved through the ureter” added Dr Bhat.
Dr Mayoor Prabhu explaining Kidney transplant, dialysis and prevention of Kidney diseases said, ” Kidney disease can lead to both acute and chronic kidney failure, both of which can be life-threatening. Acute kidney failure happens suddenly within hours to days, whereas chronic kidney failure happens gradually over a period of months to years. Acute kidney failure can often be reversed if the underlying disease is treated. In both conditions, the kidneys shut down and can no longer filter wastes or excess water out of the blood. As a result, poisons start to build up in the blood and cause various complications that can affect various body systems. Chronic kidney failure eventually reaches an end stage. This condition occurs when the kidney is working at less than 10% of full capacity. At this stage, the person will need dialysis or a kidney transplant to be able to go on living”.
Dr Prabhu further explained, “A kidney transplant is surgery to place a healthy kidney into a person with kidney failure. Kidney transplants are one of the most common transplant operations in the world and India. One donated kidney is needed to replace the work previously done by your kidneys.The donated kidney may be from: Living related donor — related to the person receiving the transplant, such as a parent, sibling, or child; Living unrelated donor — such as a friend or spouse; Deceased donor — a person who has recently died and who has no known chronic kidney disease. the healthy kidney is transported in cool salt water (saline) that preserves the organ for up to 48 hours. This gives the health care providers time to perform tests to ensure that the donor’s and recipient’s blood and tissue match”.
“If you are donating a kidney, you will be placed under general anesthesia before surgery. This means you will be asleep and pain-free. Surgeons today can often use small surgical cuts with laproscopic techniques to remove the kidney. People receiving a kidney transplant are given general anesthesia before surgery. Kidney transplant surgery takes about 3 hours. People with diabetes may also have a pancreas transplant done at the same time. This can add another 3 hours to the surgery. You may need a kidney transplant if you have end-stage kidney disease. The most common cause of end-stage kidney disease is diabetes. However, there are many other causes. Consult your doctor if you have kidney disease/kidney failure and go for kidney transplant before its too late” advised Dr Prabhu.
Nearly 100 people attended the programme and gained lots of information on how to prevent kidney diseases and also keep them healthy through diet, exercises and regular health check-ups.