Private renal services (nephrology)

Our renal service at Guy’s Hospital is internationally recognised as a centre of excellence for renal transplantation and the treatment of kidney disease.

We have led the world in kidney care since the unit opened in the 1970s. Today, our team offers a diverse range of renal services.

We operate one of the largest renal transplant programmes in the UK and Europe and one of the largest paediatric transplant units in the world. We specialise in adult and paediatric complex cases and are renowned for providing transplants for many patients who wouldn’t usually be able to have one.

Our consultant nephrologists offer consultations and treatments for the entire spectrum of kidney conditions including hypertension, diabetic kidney disease, chronic kidney disease, proteinuria and haematuria; autoimmune conditions including Lupus nephritis.

What is nephrology?

Nephrology is a special branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment and management of conditions and diseases that affect the kidneys.

The kidneys, along with the ureters, bladder and urethra, form part of a wider system called the renal system. The main purpose of the kidneys is to filter out waste and excess fluid from the blood and balance the chemicals so that your organs remain healthy.

When your kidneys don’t work as well as they should, it can cause unpleasant symptoms and affect your quality of life. Kidney function tends to deteriorate over time and patients with chronic kidney disease  usually end up on dialysis and require a transplant.

Nephrologists are experts in renal health and have undertaken specialist training to be able to recommend the most appropriate treatment based on your medical needs.

Renal transplantation

The renal service specialises in complex transplant cases and perform around 300 transplants a year, including living donor adult and paediatric transplants, as well as pancreatic transplants. Our living donor transplant programme is one of the largest and most successful in Europe, with a one-year graft survival rate of 99%.

Our paediatric transplant programme is one of the biggest in the world. We see many children who have been turned down for transplantation elsewhere, particularly due to vascular complexities.

We have the UK’s largest antibody incompatible transplant programme and the only such programme for children. We performed the first robotic transplants in the UK. We also have the largest experience of laparoscopic (keyhole) donor surgery in the country, with over 1,300 cases performed and a conversion rate of 0.4%.

We run several multi-centre trials in transplantation and are at the forefront of developing new technologies and therapeutic interventions for the benefit of all patients.

Vascular access

Our vascular access operations include radiocephalic and brachiocephalic fistulae, grafts, and complex cases where access is difficult. Our programme is supported by an excellent interventional radiology service.

The paediatric vascular access service has an international reputation, and we have developed and run several national studies in novel approaches to access.

Dialysis

Our comprehensive haemodialysis service can accommodate overseas patients. Treatment is provided in our nurse-led dialysis centre using the latest Braun dialysis machines. You’ll find it a short walk from Guy’s Hospital. It opens daily, with availability for evening slots.

Innovation and research

Our national and international reputation for kidney transplantation is outstanding, as is our record of innovation.

• The first centre in the UK to have a living donor transplant programme.
• Home to the largest and most active living kidney donation programme in the UK.
• The largest laparoscopic (keyhole) donor programme in the UK.
• The first centre in the UK to perform robotic transplantation.
• The largest centre for antibody incompatible transplantation in the UK.

We are allied with the Medical Research Council Centre for Transplantation, giving us the opportunity to fulfil our commitment to research and remain at the forefront of clinical research in our field.

We are also renowned for pioneering the use of robotic technology in the UK, and to this day continue to perform revolutionary procedures.

• Our transplant surgeons were the first in the world to use 3D printing to successfully transplant an adult donor kidney into a child.
• Our renal team was the first in the UK (second in Europe) to use the advanced da Vinci robot to perform keyhole surgery to implant donor kidneys into patients.