Also known as: Kidney failure / CKD · Kidney failure · Gurda ki kharabi · Kidney problem · ಮೂತ್ರಪಿಂಡ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆ · Urea creatinine high
Asian Hospital is the kidney-care anchor for Kalyana-Karnataka — full CKD workup, in-house dialysis, and pre/post-transplant care, led by founder Dr Md Moinuddin Azhar (25+ years in nephrology).
Medically reviewed by Asian Hospital nephrology team · last reviewed 16 May 2026
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) means your kidneys have been losing function gradually — over months to years. India has the highest dialysis-need rate among major economies. In our region, the two biggest causes by far are uncontrolled diabetes and uncontrolled BP. By the time a patient first walks into our nephrology OPD, the disease is often well-advanced, because CKD is silent in the early stages.
The 5 stages
CKD is staged by eGFR — a calculated estimate of how well your kidneys are filtering. Normal eGFR is 90+.
Stage 1 — eGFR ≥ 90 with some abnormal urine finding (protein, blood).
Stage 2 — eGFR 60-89.
Stage 3a / 3b — eGFR 30-59. This is where most patients first present.
Stage 5 — eGFR < 15. Dialysis or transplant needed.
Most patients in our OPD are at stages 3 or 4. Catching CKD at stage 1 or 2 is unusual — and it is exactly the patients we are trying to find with proactive screening of every diabetic and hypertensive.
How we diagnose
A full CKD workup at Asian Hospital includes:
Serum creatinine + eGFR — the basic kidney function number.
Symptoms of Kidney failure / CKD
Usually no symptoms in early stages (1-3)
Tiredness, low energy
Swelling — particularly ankles and around the eyes
Reduced urine output
Foamy urine (protein leak)
Persistent itching
Breathlessness (fluid overload)
Loss of appetite, metallic taste
Trouble sleeping
How we treat Kidney failure / CKD at Asian Hospital
Urine routine + urine ACR (albumin:creatinine ratio) — checks for early kidney damage (protein leak).
Ultrasound of kidneys — looks for size, scarring, stones, obstruction.
Blood pressure — both a cause and a consequence of CKD.
HbA1c, lipid profile, calcium, phosphate, parathyroid — to manage the complications.
Sometimes a kidney biopsy is needed when the cause is unclear. We do biopsies in-house under ultrasound guidance, results in 2-3 weeks.
Treatment
The goal of CKD treatment is not "fix the kidneys" — once damaged, kidney tissue does not regenerate. The goal is to slow the slope, so that a patient diagnosed at stage 3 reaches stage 5 in 20 years instead of 5. The levers we use:
BP control — target below 130/80, lower if there is proteinuria.
Diabetes control — target HbA1c around 7%.
ACE inhibitors / ARBs / SGLT2 inhibitors — these drugs are kidney-protective in their own right.
Diet — low salt, moderate protein, controlled potassium and phosphorus in later stages. Our in-house dietitian works with each CKD patient on a personalised plan (vegetarian or non-vegetarian).
Avoiding kidney-toxic drugs — painkillers (especially NSAIDs), some antibiotics, certain contrast scans. Always tell every doctor about your CKD before they prescribe.
When dialysis or transplant is needed
Around eGFR 10-15, with symptoms (fatigue, nausea, breathlessness, fluid overload), we start preparing for renal replacement. The two options are:
Haemodialysis — 4 hours, 3 times a week, in our in-house unit. Most patients are on dialysis long-term.
Kidney transplant — the gold standard. We do not currently perform transplant surgery on-site (that requires a designated transplant centre); we do complete pre-transplant workup + post-transplant follow-up + immunosuppression management. Patients are referred to partner centres in Bangalore / Hyderabad for the surgery itself.
In-house dialysis at Asian Hospital is ₹1,800–2,200 per session inclusive of consumables; cashless under most TPAs, Ayushman Bharat, and ESIC. See /procedures/dialysis for the detailed breakdown.
