TAMC starts nephrology service, welcomes County’s first full-time kidney doctor

    Kidney disease is a growing problem in Aroostook County. Dr. Sujan Pathak, Aroostook County’s new nephrologist, or kidney doctor, wants to make sure those with kidney disease can get the care they need quickly and comfortably, without needing to travel to Bangor or beyond.
    “The difference I can provide is access to care,” said Pathak, who has already started seeing patients at The Aroostook Medical Center’s new Nephrology Services office on North St. “My clinic is next to the dialysis unit, so if a patient has a need, I can just pop in and do an adjustment right then and there.”
    The terms ‘nephrology’ and ‘dialysis’ both pertain to the kidneys. Nephrology is a branch of medicine concerned with kidney health, including preventing problems and providing care for patients in all stages of kidney disease. Dialysis is a life-sustaining nephrology procedure that removes waste products from the blood when the kidneys have stopped working. Dialysis treatments, which last several hours, are typically done three times a week. Dr. Pathak will spend time both at the Nephrology Services office and the Dialysis Center.
    For patients in the early stages of kidney disease, Pathak can prescribe medications and recommend lifestyle changes to help them keep their kidneys functioning for as long as possible. When the kidneys fail and the body can no longer remove potassium, urea and other waste, Pathak can arrange for dialysis to begin.
    TAMC has provided dialysis services since 1997. By 2002, 33 people relied on the Dialysis Center, and now 51 patients use it. For the past several years, physicians from Bangor have come to Presque Isle once a week to care for dialysis patients and others with kidney disease. With the increase in kidney disease rates, TAMC decided to open a full-time nephrology office so patients in all stages of kidney disease can have their medical concerns managed and any problems that come up can be taken care of quickly.  
    “The time is right to begin providing this new service,” said Dr. Jay Reynolds, TAMC’s chief operating officer and chief medical officer. “Dr. Pathak will work closely with Dr. Mahendra Sheth, our vascular surgeon, and other local physicians to make sure patients with kidney disease can get most of what they need in Presque Isle. It will prevent some costly, last-minute trips to Bangor.”
    It’s easy to take your kidneys for granted. The bean-shaped organs are only about the size of a computer mouse, and most people don’t think about them until they aren’t working properly.
    “Kidney problems can be caused by a variety of diseases, including high blood pressure, diabetes and atherosclerosis, or a build-up of the plaque in your arteries and veins,” added Pathak. “A kidney doctor can do an evaluation to see if the kidneys have been affected by those diseases and try to minimize the damage, if there is any.”
    Currently, dialysis patients who need to be hospitalized for any reason must go to Bangor or Portland, because hospital dialysis services are not offered anywhere in Aroostook County. In order to keep more patients close to home, TAMC and Pathak will begin offering dialysis services to hospital patients in early 2010.