Kidney Disorders
The experienced kidney doctors (nephrologists) at Hackensack Meridian Health provide expert care for all kidney conditions – ranging from kidney stones and electrolyte imbalances to hypertension and kidney failure.
You have access to specialized kidney treatments – including New Jersey’s most experienced minimally-invasive and robotic kidney surgery team – as well as the latest medical approaches, dialysis, therapeutic plasma exchange and kidney and pancreatic transplant, close to home.
Kidney Conditions We Treat
- Acute kidney injury. Sudden trauma to your kidneys causes them to stop filtering waste products from your blood, leading to a buildup of waste and fluid imbalances.
- Chronic kidney disease. Gradual loss of kidney function due to physical damage.
- End-stage renal disease or kidney failure. Your kidneys stop working and you require dialysis or a kidney transplant.
- Kidney stones. Pebble-like deposits that form in your kidney.
- Glomerular diseases. Damage to the glomeruli prevents your kidneys from effectively separating waste and liquid from your blood.
- Polycystic kidney disease. An inherited disorder that causes fluid-filled cysts in your kidneys that can grow large and cause complications.
- Fabry disease. An inherited disorder in which a buildup of fat called globotriaosylceramide causes kidney damage.
- Fluid, electrolyte and acid base abnormalities. Fluid, electrolyte, or acid base abnormalities occur when your kidneys are not working well.
- High blood pressure or hypertension. Uncontrolled high blood pressure, also called primary hypertension, leads to kidney failure. Secondary high blood pressure is caused by another medical condition, such as kidney disease.
- Diabetic nephropathy. High blood glucose levels in people with diabetes leads to kidney disease.
- Rhabdomyolysis. Occurs when injured muscle breaks down and releases a protein into the bloodstream that damages kidney cells.
- Tumor lysis syndrome. Occurs during cancer treatment when a large number of tumor cells are destroyed and their contents released into the bloodstream at the same time, with the resulting waste causing kidney damage.
Accurate Diagnosis
The key to effectively treating your kidney condition is to have an accurate diagnosis. Equipped with the most advanced laboratory and imaging technology, our pathologists and uroradiologists partner with your kidney doctor on testing to make an accurate diagnosis.
Your blood may be tested to see how well your kidneys are filtering waste from your blood. Tests include:
- Serum creatinine levels
- eGFR – estimated glomerular filtration rate
Your urine tells us a lot about how your kidneys function. Your urine may be examined for signs that you have a kidney problem. These include:
- Bacteria
- Crystals
- Blood, or abnormal red or white blood cell count
- High level of protein called albumin
- High glucose sugar levels
