For years, chronic kidney disease treatment focused mainly on slowing further damage.
Newer medicines can help protect kidney function, especially when the disease is detected early.
However, once the kidneys lose most of their function, dialysis or a kidney transplant may become necessary.
Yet fistula care remains one of the least understood aspects of kidney disease," said Dr Avik Bhattacharyya, Senior Consultant – Interventional Radiology, CK Birla Hospitals, CMRI.
Detecting these warning signs early can often help doctors restore blood flow with minimally invasive procedures and prevent the loss of this vital dialysis access.
For years, chronic kidney disease treatment focused mainly on slowing further damage. Today, doctors say the approach has shifted. Newer medicines can help protect kidney function, especially when the disease is detected early.
Dr Srivatsa explained, "The cornerstone of modern treatment relies on sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. Although these medicines were first developed for diabetes, they also reduce mechanical stress on the kidneys and help preserve their filtering function. Other newer therapies, including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, further reduce inflammation and slow scarring in appropriate patients."
However, once the kidneys lose most of their function, dialysis or a kidney transplant may become necessary.
While many people associate dialysis with the machine that filters the blood, experts say there is another equally important part of treatment that often goes unnoticed, the arteriovenous (AV) fistula, a surgically created connection between an artery and a vein that provides reliable access for haemodialysis.
"For every patient on haemodialysis, the AV fistula is quite literally a lifeline. Without it, dialysis cannot be performed effectively. Yet fistula care remains one of the least understood aspects of kidney disease," said Dr Avik Bhattacharyya, Senior Consultant – Interventional Radiology, CK Birla Hospitals, CMRI.
He added that many patients seek medical attention only after the fistula has already narrowed or become blocked. A weaker buzzing sensation over the fistula, swelling of the arm, prolonged bleeding after dialysis, pain or difficulty inserting dialysis needles should never be ignored. Detecting these warning signs early can often help doctors restore blood flow with minimally invasive procedures and prevent the loss of this vital dialysis access.
