Akhil Hegde, MD, Assistant Professor in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, emphasized the need for a systemized analysis of dialysis access during the 15th Annual Scientific Meeting for the American Society of Diagnostics and Interventional Nephrology (ASDIN), held last month in Atlanta, GA.
In his presentation “Developing an Evidence-Based Approach to Dialysis Access,” Hegde discussed the limitations of current evidence-based guidelines for dialysis access creation, maturation and maintenance. He also pointed to the fragmentation of patient care data, recognizing the need for a standardized data collection platform that could establish a national registry.
“A multidisciplinary team is needed to help identify, address and develop solutions for dialysis patients,” Hegde said. “Systemized analysis and data optimization will be key to strengthening evidence and guidelines for the future.”
Hegde focuses on the care of chronic kidney disease and dialysis patients in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. Additionally, he performs interventional procedures including fistulograms, angioplasty, stent graft placement, tunneled dialysis catheter placement, percutaneous thrombectomy and balloon-assisted maturation.
The ASDIN promotes excellence in dialysis access care aimed at improving the outcomes for patients with kidney disease.