Department of Nephrology (25827)

About the department

The Department of Nephrology at the DKD HELIOS Clinic Wiesbaden offers accurate diagnostics and effective treatment of the full range of kidney diseases. The nephrologists working in the medical facility are also competent in diagnostic examinations to detect the causes of hypertension, as well as in the therapeutic procedures to eliminate them (in cooperation with doctors from the related specialties, if required). The department provides both outpatient admission and inpatient treatment. The department has state-of-the-art equipment for diagnostic tests. The medical facility also offers the services of the Dialysis Unit where patients receive various types of renal replacement therapy – dialysis. The department's specialists have excellent qualifications and can be proud of good results in the treatment of nephrological diseases. Each treatment regimen is developed taking into account the current clinical protocols, so the patients can count on an optimal therapeutic result. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Mettang.

The department's doctors have successful experience in the treatment of such kidney diseases as nephritis, pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, kidney stone disease, polycystic kidney disease, kidney tumors, acute and chronic kidney failure and many others. The experts are especially competent in the treatment of rare types of arterial hypertension – secondary arterial hypertension caused by Conn's syndrome, pheochromocytoma and renal artery stenosis. The nephrologists of the medical facility most often use drug therapy, which makes it possible to effectively relieve pain, eliminate edema, carry out antibacterial therapy, etc. The doctors competently combine innovative drugs, many of which are original developments of German doctors and are not available in other countries. Thanks to the use of these drugs they achieve a complete cure for kidney disease or a long-term remission. The patients suffering from arterial hypertension undergo drug therapy to normalize elevated blood pressure.

An integral part of the department's clinical practice is renal replacement therapy (dialysis). As a rule, dialysis is indicated for the patients with renal insufficiency, which affects the patient's general state of health. The essence of this method lies in the purification of blood from metabolic products accumulating in the body due to impaired kidney function using special equipment. Such an approach contributes to the normalization of the patient's condition. The department's Dialysis Unit has state-of-the-art equipment, with the help of which hemodialysis, hemofiltration, hemodiafiltration and peritoneal dialysis can be performed. Hemodialysis involves the use of a special filter (dialyzer), which helps remove metabolic waste products from the blood. It is important that this type of dialysis involves blood purification outside the human body. When carrying out hemofiltration, the patient additionally receives an intravenous injection of a replacement solution. Hemodiafiltration is carried out using a filter and large volumes of solution, which binds "harmful substances'' and subsequently removes them from the body. Peritoneal dialysis uses the peritoneum as a filter through which toxins and fluids are removed from the body. Peritoneal dialysis can also be performed at home, which is an undeniable advantage of this procedure. The optimal type of renal replacement therapy is selected individually, after an accurate assessment of the degree of kidney damage and the patient's general state of health.

The department's range of diagnostic and therapeutic services includes:

• Diagnostics
  • Color duplex sonography of the kidney vessels, including in patients after kidney transplantation
  • Classical ultrasound scanning of the kidneys and other abdominal organs
  • Kidney biopsy
  • 24-hour blood pressure measurement
  • Spiroergometry
  • Electrocardiography (ECG), including stress ECG
  • Echocardiography
  • Laboratory tests
    • Assessment of acid-base balance
    • Bone turnover marker testing
    • Laboratory tests for kidney stone disease
• Treatment
  • Drug therapy for kidney disease and arterial hypertension
  • Renal replacement therapy (dialysis)
    • Hemodialysis
    • Hemofiltration
    • Hemodiafiltration
    • Peritoneal dialysis
• Other medical services

Photo of the doctor: (c) depositphotos