The Renal Access Nursing team offer a service of support and facilitation for those renal patients who may be nearing their time to commence renal replacement therapy - Haemodialysis or Peritoneal Dialysis.
Patients who are considering which type of dialysis access may be right for them, will be invited to an Access clinic for assessment by a vascular surgeon. This initial appointment may involve a Doppler scan, examination by the surgeon, information giving, and the opportunity to ask questions. No invasive procedures are undertaken at this initial appointment.
Patients may be assessed for formation of an Arterial Venous fistula – a surgical procedure to join an artery to a vein in the arm. They may be assessed for placement of a Tenchkoff tube – a tube used for peritoneal dialysis that is inserted in the abdomen, or they may be assessed for both if the patient is unsure which type of dialysis they will choose
Renal Access clinic appointments take place in Maidstone, Canterbury and Margate. The team will coordinate your Access clinic appointments and be a point of contact.
Once a decision has been agreed between the surgeon and patient for the type of access formation possible/required, the renal access nursing team will arrange your surgery and ensure you have all the relevant information required.
Occasionally input from other specialist services including anaesthetics and interventional radiology is required, this will also be coordinated in a timely manner by the Access team.
Once patients begin dialysis their individual nursing or medical teams will contact us if there are problems arising from their access and we can again facilitate the ongoing care requirements.
Contact us
Telephone: 01227 864305
Renal Department
Kent & Canterbury Hospital
