Newswise — (NEW YORK – AUGUST 19) –– The Department of Medicine and Division of Nephrology of the Mount Sinai Health System have launched a new Home Hemodialysis Dialysis program. The program, available to all physically able patients undergoing hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis treatment throughout the Mount Sinai Health System, is part of a trend toward more home dialysis in the United States.
“Renal failure can be a debilitating, difficult condition to manage,” said Jaime Uribarri, MD, Professor of Medicine and Nephrology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Director of the Home Dialysis Program for the Mount Sinai Health System. “With the options available to patients requiring dialysis, more patients are able to customize their treatments to suit their needs, and maintain independent, normal life styles. Home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis programs provide a welcome solution for some patients.”
To qualify for home dialysis, patients must be able to perform the treatment independently, which includes placing catheters, ordering supplies, and operating controls. The patient must also have a companion nearby, who is trained to recognize rare but possible complications.
Although home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis have been available in the United States since the 1970s, most patients have been treated with in-center treatment. Recently, however, home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis has seen a surge in popularity in the United States.
Hemodialysis involves cycling the patient’s blood through a machine, which filters it, removing toxins and extra fluids before cycling it back into the patient’s bloodstream. During peritoneal dialysis, a catheter is placed in the abdomen and the patient’s own peritoneal membrane is used to filter the blood. The Mount Sinai Health System remains the largest provider for peritoneal dialysis in New York City.
Patients opting to perform the dialysis treatment at home are fully supported by specialists from the Mount Sinai Health System. Each patient undergoes four to five weeks of individualized training during in-center dialysis sessions, and upon completion of the training, is sent home with an easy-to-operate home dialysis machine. A home dialysis nurse helps the patient install the machine, and makes sure that it is properly configured to begin treatment. All patients enrolled in the home dialysis program continue to meet with their nephrologist for regular checkups.
“We are very proud to launch this innovative program here at Mount Sinai,” said John Cijiang He, MD, PhD, Irene and Dr. Arthur M. Fishberg Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Nephrology in the Department of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Mount Sinai has always been at the forefront of renal disease treatment, and this represents the next step in advancing care.”
About the Mount Sinai Health SystemThe Mount Sinai Health System is an integrated health system committed to providing distinguished care, conducting transformative research, and advancing biomedical education. Structured around seven hospital campuses and a single medical school, the Health System has an extensive ambulatory network and a range of inpatient and outpatient services— from community-based facilities to tertiary and quaternary care.
The System includes approximately 6,100 primary and specialty care physicians; 12 minority-owned free-standing ambulatory surgery centers; more than 140 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the renowned Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the highest in the nation in National Institutes of Health funding per investigator. Seven departments at The Mount Sinai Hospital and one at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary (NYEE) ranked nationally in the top 25 in the 2015-2016 “Best Hospitals” issue of U.S. News & World Report. Mount Sinai’s Kravis Children’s Hospital also is ranked in seven out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report.
For more information, visit http://www.mountsinaihealth.org, or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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