Nephrology · Ahmedabad
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Treatment in Ahmedabad
Chronic Kidney Disease is a gradual, lasting loss of kidney function present for more than three months. It is graded in five stages using eGFR and urine protein. CKD usually causes no symptoms until advanced, so it is detected through blood and urine tests. Early treatment can slow or halt progression and delay dialysis.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Pritish Shah, MBBS, MD (Internal Medicine), DrNB (Nephrology) · Last reviewed
CKD is not a single illness — it is the end result of years of unnoticed damage, most often from diabetes or high blood pressure. Because the kidneys have enormous spare capacity, a person can lose more than half their kidney function and still feel completely well. That is precisely what makes CKD dangerous, and why blood tests matter more than symptoms.
The purpose of CKD care is not merely to record the decline. It is to change its slope. With correct staging, cause-directed treatment and modern kidney-protective medication, many patients hold stable function for years — and a meaningful number never reach dialysis at all.
Recognising it
Signs that may point to CKD
In stages 1 to 3, most people have none of these. A normal-feeling body does not mean normal kidneys — only a test can tell you that.
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Before your visit
- Consultation fee ₹1,000
- Consults in English, Hindi, Gujarati
- Monday – Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMSunday: By prior appointmentLocation and OPD timings
- No referral needed. Bring your reports — what to bring to your consultation.
Investigation
How CKD is confirmed and staged
Serum creatinine with eGFR
A blood test that estimates how much blood your kidneys filter each minute. eGFR is what assigns your CKD stage — creatinine alone can be misleading in people with low muscle mass.
Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR)
Detects protein leaking into urine. Often the earliest abnormality of all, and a stronger predictor of progression than eGFR by itself.
Kidney ultrasound
Shows kidney size, structure, scarring, stones, cysts and any obstruction to urine flow. Small, shrunken kidneys usually indicate long-standing disease.
Cause-directed testing
Depending on the picture — HbA1c, autoimmune and immunological panels, hepatitis and HIV serology, serum electrophoresis, and occasionally a kidney biopsy when the diagnosis is unclear.
Staging
How CKD is staged
Your stage is set by eGFR — the percentage of normal filtering your kidneys still do. It determines how closely you need to be monitored and which treatments apply.
Management
How CKD is managed
There is no single pill for CKD. Management works by attacking every factor that drives progression at the same time.
Treat the underlying cause
Tight glycaemic control in diabetes, immunosuppression in glomerular disease, relief of obstruction, or withdrawal of a nephrotoxic drug — whatever is actually driving the damage.
Blood pressure control
Usually targeting below 130/80 mmHg, typically with an ACE inhibitor or ARB, which lowers pressure inside the filtering units and reduces protein leak.
Kidney-protective medication
SGLT2 inhibitors, and in selected cases non-steroidal MRAs, have been shown to slow decline in both diabetic and non-diabetic CKD. These are among the most important advances in nephrology in decades.
Managing the complications
Anaemia, metabolic acidosis, high potassium and phosphate, vitamin D deficiency and CKD–mineral bone disorder each need correction — they cause symptoms and independently worsen outcomes.
Diet, calibrated to your stage
Practical, Gujarati-diet-aware guidance on salt, protein, potassium and phosphate. Restrictions are matched to your actual stage, not applied as blanket rules.
Avoiding further injury
Stopping habitual painkillers, checking contrast exposure before scans, dose-adjusting medicines, and treating infections early.
Planning ahead for later stages? Read about kidney transplant options.
See a nephrologist promptly if
Any of these warrant a specialist review rather than watchful waiting.
- Your eGFR is below 60, or has fallen on two readings taken three months apart
- Protein or blood is present in your urine on more than one occasion
- You have diabetes or hypertension and have never had a kidney test
- Your blood pressure needs three or more drugs to control
- There is kidney disease, dialysis or transplant in your immediate family
Questions
Chronic Kidney Disease — frequently asked
Can chronic kidney disease be reversed?
Established scarring cannot be reversed, but progression can very often be slowed or stopped. The earlier CKD is found, the more function there is to protect. Many patients diagnosed at stage 2 or 3 maintain stable kidney function for years with correct treatment.
Does high creatinine always mean kidney failure?
No. Creatinine rises with dehydration, certain medicines, high protein intake and large muscle mass. A single raised value needs to be repeated and interpreted alongside eGFR and a urine test before any diagnosis is made.
Will I definitely need dialysis?
Most people with CKD never reach dialysis. Only a minority progress to stage 5. Whether you do depends heavily on your stage at diagnosis, your protein leak, your blood pressure control and how consistently treatment is followed.
Which CKD stage is serious?
Stage 3 onwards needs specialist supervision, and stages 4 and 5 need active planning for kidney replacement therapy. That said, stage 1 or 2 with heavy protein leak can progress faster than stage 3 without it — protein matters as much as stage.
Are Ayurvedic or herbal medicines safe for kidney disease?
Several herbal and traditional preparations contain heavy metals, aristolochic acid or high potassium loads, and are a recognised cause of kidney injury in India. Please bring any such product to your consultation so it can be reviewed before you continue it.
See more CKD questions on the FAQ page.
Please note: This page is general health information, not personal medical advice. Kidney disease varies significantly between individuals. Please consult a qualified nephrologist about your own reports before making any change to your treatment.