UVM Medical Center - South Prospect, Burlington

Nephrology - 1 South Prospect Street

 (802) 847-3607

1 South Prospect Street
Rehab, Level 2
Burlington, VT 05401-5505

It is important that we have an accurate diagnosis before we start treatment for a kidney disorder. Our doctors at The University of Vermont Medical Center work carefully to obtain a precise diagnosis, so we can tailor your treatment plan effectively. We will discuss all of your treatment options with you and answer any questions you may have.

Kidney Disorder Treatment in Burlington, VT

There are a number of treatment options for kidney disorders. You may need only one type of treatment, or we may decide to combine two or more treatments in order to offer you the best outcome. You may also need to speak to a kidney diet specialist. A diet specialist can guide you in planning a diet that will decrease your symptoms and help your kidneys function better.

Medication for Kidney Disorders

We may prescribe medications to treat kidney disorders for a few different reasons:

  • Control blood pressure - If high blood pressure is causing (or resulting from) the kidney disorder, we may prescribe a blood pressure drug. The medicine relieves symptoms as well as reducing the amount of protein in your urine. Over time, this helps improve the function of your kidneys.
  • Regulate red blood cells - Damaged kidneys often cannot produce erythropoietin, which helps manufacture red blood cells. Your doctor may give you erythropoietin to help with anemia.

Dialysis for Kidney Disorders

When kidney disease has reached an advanced stage, your kidneys can no longer do the work of filtering out your body's waste. Dialysis takes over the function of your kidneys. Dialysis machines clean your blood and pump it back into your body.

Surgery for Kidney Disorders

If you have a ureter blockage, we can often treat it without surgery. Sometimes, however, we need to operate, depending on the type of blockage.

For kidney cancer, however, we often recommend surgery, since kidney cancer is resistant to radiation and chemotherapy. The "gold standard" of treatment for kidney cancer that has not spread is surgery to remove the tumors or to remove all or part of the kidney. This operation is called a nephrectomy. We can perform a nephrectomy using a few different approaches:

  • Traditional open surgery
  • Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery
  • Robotic-assisted surgery

Robotic-Assisted Surgery for Kidney Conditions

If your doctor recommends surgery for kidney cancer, you may be a candidate for minimally invasive, robotic-assisted kidney surgery using the da Vinci Surgical System. This approach uses advanced technology to help your doctor perform a more precise operation. The added precision and dexterity can lead to better clinical outcomes for the treatment of kidney cancer.

Robotic-assisted surgery offers several potential benefits over a conventional open nephrectomy, including:

  • Significantly less pain
  • Less blood loss
  • Fewer transfusions
  • Less risk of infection
  • Less scarring
  • Shorter hospital stay
  • Shorter recovery time
  • Increased potential for kidney preservation in certain prescribed cancer operations
  • Better clinical outcomes, in many cases

The UVM Medical Center surgeons have the necessary expertise and experience to perform all types of surgery and will choose the approach that offers you the best outcome.

For more information call 802-847-2884.