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Nephrology

The Kidneys play a vital role in keeping the body healthy-regulating blood Pressure, balancing fluids and electrolytes and filtering waste from the brood stream. When the kidneys are not working properly, it can lead to serious health complication, that affect your child's growth, development, and overall well being. Our pediatric nephrology team specializes in diagnosing and treating kidney related conditions in infants, children, and adolescents.

Nephrology

What is Nephrology?

Nephrology is the medical specialty focused on diagnosing ad treating kidney-related diseases and disorders in children. A pediatric nephrologist is a physician with advanced training in caring for children with conditions that affect kidney function, such as kidney stones, nephrotic syndrome, congenital abnormalities, and those requiring dialysis.

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, located just below the ribcage on either side of the spine. Each kidney is connected to the bladder by a thin tube called a ureter. The kidneys are responsible for helping filter waste and toxins from the blood, regulating fluid and electrolyte imbalance, and removing excess water from the body through urine.

Our team of board-certified Pediatric Nephrologists and specially-trained support staff are dedicated to delivering expert. compassionate care to children with kidney conditions. Working closely with other specialties, our team provides comprehensive, personalized treatment plans to help every child achieve the best possible outcome.

Common Conditions

At El Paso Children's Hospital, our team of kidney disease specialists in the Nephrology Department diagnoses and treats a wide range of issues and conditions that can affect the function or health of the kidneys in children. Common kidney-related issues and conditions we diagnose and treat at El Paso Children's Hospital include:

Blood or Protein in the Urine

Blood (hematuria) or protein (proteinuria) in a child's urine are common reasons for children to see a Pediatric Nephrologist, but don't always indicate a serious problem. Hematuria can be caused by a wide variety of issues, including UTIs, kidney stones or a blockage in the urinary tract. Protein in the urine -- which can make urine look frothy or foamy -- may be a sign the kidneys aren't filtering the blood as well as they should.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Chronic Kidney Disease is characterized by gradual damage to the kidneys, making them less able to filter waste from the blood over time. If a child has kidney disease that doesn't get better after three months of treatment, it is considered chronic. CKD can be caused by a variety of issues that damage the kidneys, including infections, birth defects, type 1 or 2 diabetes and other causes.

Congenital Kidney Malformations

Congenital kidney malformations are problems with the structure of a child's kidneys that occurred as a fetus formed in the womb. These issues can affect one or both kidneys, and cause symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Examples of congenital kidney malformations include renal agenesis (missing one or both kidneys), renal hypoplasia (unusually small kidneys) and horseshoe kidney (kidneys fused together at one end).

Contact EPCH Today!

Does your family need an experienced, patient-focused pediatric kidney specialist in El Paso, West Texas, Southern New Mexico or the Paso del Norte Region? You’ll find the advanced, family-first care your child needs at the Nephrology Department at El Paso Children’s Hospital.

El Paso Children’s Hospital / Emergency Department
4845 Alameda Avenue
El Paso, Texas 79905
Phone 915-253-5443

Medical Staff

Xochitl Castillo Rios, MD

Pediatric Nephrologist

German Lozano Guzman, MD

Pediatric Nephrologist

Services Provided

Conditions Treated