Nephrology

The new Advanced Dialysis Unit, which was inaugurated in April 2022, features the best technology and specialised services for the treatment of patients with acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease at different stages of their course.

It provides care to patients with advanced chronic kidney damage, including those requiring dialysis support treatment in its different modes: hospital haemodialysis, home haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.

It also coordinates the Nephrology Day Hospital, the treatment programme using apheresis techniques and care for critically ill patients with acute renal disease.

At the Clinical Nephrology Unit, we diagnose, treat and follow up, in the short and long term, patients with acute and chronic kidney failure, as well as patients with orphan kidney diseases (glomerular and inherited), while covering all types of medical kidney conditions.

• Hypertension and Kidney Damage Prevention Group: The control of high blood pressure is paramount to prevent the onset of chronic kidney disease and its progression, which, at an advanced stage, requires treatments such as transplantation or dialysis. Drs Patricia Fernández Llama, Nadia Ayasreh Fierro and Elizabeth Romelia Viera Ramirez
• Diabetic Nephropathy Group. Dr Nadia Ayasreh Fierro
• Cardiorenal Group. Drs Elizabeth Romelia Viera Ramirez, Patricia Fernández Llama and Nadia Ayasreh Fierro
• Glomerular Kidney Diseases Group: We are a National Health System Benchmark Unit (CSUR) in Spain, Catalonia (XUEC) and Europe (ERKnet) in terms of complex glomerular diseases. Drs Montserrat Díaz Encarnación and Helena Marco
• Inherited Kidney Diseases Group: We provide comprehensive care for patients with inherited kidney diseases and conduct extensive clinical research. Drs Roser Torra Balcells and Mónica Furlano / Head of the Molecular Genetics Laboratory: Dr Elisabet Ars Criarch
• Onconephrology Group. Onconephrology is a rapidly growing area of nephrology, due to the increase in consultations regarding kidney disease in cancer patients over the last 15 years. Dr Xoana Barros

The Kidney Transplant Unit performs kidney transplantations from both deceased and living donors, while carrying out all types of transplantations: from direct transplantations between relatives, partners or friends to cross-over transplantations, transplant chains and even transplants from altruistic individuals. We also perform living donor transplantations in patients with incompatible blood group, sensitised patients, patients with expanded criteria or asystole. 

Currently, more than 70% of living donor kidney transplants are performed with robot-assisted surgery, a minimally invasive surgical technique that provides an array of benefits for the patient, as it minimises complications, involves less postoperative pain and promotes recovery.

Our diagnostic approach is based on the massive sequencing of a large gene panel of our own design, which has proven to have the best diagnostic performance, as per the scientific literature published. We feature a huge clinical and genomic database of patients with these disorders, which is key to correctly interpret genomic data. 

Genetic diagnosis of inherited kidney diseases and male infertility allows for a final aetiological diagnosis by identifying their molecular cause. This guides us in assessing the patient's clinical manifestations, in their management and therapeutic options, which is the basis of predictive and customised medicine. Another key point of genetic diagnosis is that it allows us to offer accurate genetic counselling for both the patient and their relatives.