About Us

The Department of Renal Medicine is based at Cork University Hospital. We also have a satellite dialysis unit and outpatient clinics at Kerry General Hospital.

The Department provides the full range of renal treatments for patients with kidney disease. This includes dedicated clinics for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), patients with a kidney transplant, patients nearing kidney failure (low clearance clinic) and a high risk pregnancy clinic held in conjunction with the Department of Obstetric Medicine.  We have two on-site haemodialysis units and peritoneal dialysis unit.

Kidney disease often coexists with other medical conditions such as heart disease, vascular disease and diabetes, and our team works closely with specialists from other disciplines to ensure that our patients receive the care that is appropriate to their individual health needs.

What We Treat

Patients living with kidney disease often have very specific health care needs, but in general they either have acute kidney injury (sudden loss of kidney function) or chronic kidney disease.

• Acute kidney injury - Patients with acute kidney injury (also known as acute renal failure), which is a rapid loss of kidney function, often require specialists to diagnose the underlying cause by assessment, blood tests and special tests such as an ultrasound scan and kidney biopsy. They may also require kidney dialysis until specific treatment has an effect in reversing the cause of the kidney failure. There can be many medical reasons for acute kidney injury, ranging from infection, trauma, circulation problems, drugs and diseases specific to the immune system such as lupus and vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels).

• Chronic kidney disease - Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a life-long condition often associated with high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Chronic kidney disease includes conditions that damage your kidneys and decrease their ability to keep you healthy. If kidney disease gets worse, waste product can build to high levels in your blood and make you feel unwell. These problems happen slowly over a long period of time and may not result in obvious symptoms until the condition is very advanced. Early detection and treatment can often keep chronic kidney disease from getting worse. When kidney disease progresses, it may eventually lead to kidney failure, which requires dialysis or a kidney transplant.