PSG Hospitals established the Department of Nephrology in 1992. In the beginning, it was run by Dr K. Jayachandran, who was helped by Assistant Professor G.A. Suresh. From such a modest start, the unit has come a long way to include two professors, two residents and ten dialysis technicians, led by Dr G.Venu, Professor and Head of the Department.

In 1993, the department started intermittent peritoneal dialysis, which uses a membrane inside the body; and haemodialysis, which involves taking blood out of the body, purifying it through a dialysis fiter and then returning it to the body.

Dr G. Venu, Head of the Department of Nephrology

Today, it has one of the best dialysis units in Coimbatore, which is the largest in the region with 21 state-of-the-art machines and a continuous renal replacement therapy machine. Since 1998, it has done about one lakh dialysis. Its services are very economical and it performs 1,000 dialysis every month. Emergency dialysis is available round the clock at PSG Hospitals. It also performs continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, which happens throughout the day even when a person is at work

In 1998, the department started live related donor transplantation. From 2012 it is a recognized centre for deceased donor renal transplant (cadaveric). It does kidney transplantation routinely without leaving the patient with a heavy fiancial burden and is one of the centres recognised by the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund as well as Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

The unit is also known for accurate diagnosis using renal biopsies besides plasmapheresis which is a blood purifiation procedure that is used to treat several autoimmune diseases.

Dr G. Vasanth, Nephrologists

Other procedures, unique to our center, include continuous veno-venous haemo-fitration, online haemo diafiltration to treat acute renal failure and charcoal haemoperfusion to tackle severe toxicity. A facility to perform molecular absorption recirculating system and single pass albumin dialysis which enables simultaneous liver and kidney detoxifiation, is unique to this department. Further the department has facilities and expertise to carry out combined liver and kidney transplants. The department offers a super-speciality degree in nephrology and a bachelor’s degree in dialysis technology. It has plans to expand to areas such as ABO-incompatible renal transplantation, paediatric nephrology, interventional nephrology and stem cell therapy for kidney diseases.

Special Clinical Services

• Outpatient consultation in all working days
• Emergency services available round the clock
• Separate Inpatient general & special wards
• Fully equipped dialysis unit with 24 hours care provided by trained dialysis technicians and doctors
• Separate dialysis machines for sero negative & sero positive patients
• Separate dialysis machines for both HCV & HBsAg-positive patients
• Routine CAPD program (Home dialysis)
• Renal transplantation: Live donor program and cadaver transplant program routinely done
• Training program for Post Graduates ( MD – General Medicine, DM Nephrology )
• Recognized training centre for diploma, B.Sc Dialysis Technology and DM Nephrology courses
• Comprehensive total renal care for Adult & Paediatric patients

Awards

Dr. Pabolu Surendrakumar (DM – PG Nephrology) presented a paper “Prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis C among maintenance haemodialysis patients at a tertiary care hospital in Coimbatore” in February 2011 in ISNSC CON 2011 – International Conference Thrissur and had been conferred “ BEST PAPER AWARD”

Facilities

• Fully equipped
• 20 dialysis machines
• 1 CRRT machine
• 2 ARRT machines
• 1 dialysis machine standby for emergency dialysis
• 1 dialysis machine for both HBsAg & HCV positive patients

Publications

• Dr.G. Venu MD., DM – Serum cystatin C Levels in renal transplant recipients – an article presented in Indian Journal of Biochemistry 2010
• Dr.G. Venu MD., DM – Effect of haemodialysis on circulating cystatin C levels in patients with End Stage Renal Disease – an article presented in Indian Journal of Biochemistry 2010
• Study of quality indicators in haemodialysis patients presented in ISNCON 2011 – by Dr. Saravanan (DM – PG Nephrology)
• Low Incidence Of Acute Peritonitis In Intermittent Peritoneal Dialysis – An Experience From A Tertiary Care Unit – INDIAN JOURNAL OF PERITONEAL DIALYSIS – VOL 5 FEB 2003
• Analysis Of 80 Diabetic Patients With (1) Normo Albuminuria High Albumin Creatinine Ratio (ACR) (2) Micro Albuminuria Normal ACR – DIABETES RESEARCH AND CLINICAL PRACTICE 2002 S-173
• Agreeability of spot albumin creatinine ratio with first voided albumin creatinine ratio in diabetic patients – Diabetes Research And Clnical Practice 2002 S-169
• Serum Cystain C levels in renal transplant recipients – Indian journal of Clinical biochemistry 2010; 30(4): 532-538
• Effect of haemodialysis on circulating cystatin C levels in patients with End Stage Renal Disease – Indian Journal of clinical biochemistry 2010(25(1)) 43-46
• Hepatitis C and associated risk factors in maintenance haemodialysis patients – Journal of clinical and diagnostic research 2011 August Vol 5(4); 725-728
• Effect of haemodialysis on plasma MPO activity in End Stage Renal Disease patients – Indian journal of clinical Biochemistry (2012) 27:253-258
• Obstructive uropathy in benign prostatic hyperplasia – Chap 15: 168-176. Benign prostatic hyperplasia; Manickam Ramalingam/ David M. Albala (2012) – medical communications

Projects

• Role of Enalapril in Micro Albuminuria in NIDDM patients
• Study of AORTO – Arteritis.56 patients with follow up.
• Percutaneous ultrasound guided native kidney biopsy – A single centre experience (2012)

Renal Transplant

Today the Department has undertook 284 successful Renal transplant surgeries and hope for the best in coming years.