The Department of Nephrology of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center treats ambulatory and hospitalized patients suffering from kidney-related conditions, such as chronic kidney failure. The standard treatment regimen, dialysis - either hemodialysis or peritoneal - is offered in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
The Nephrology Department provides comprehensive care for a wide range of kidney diseases and hypertension.
The Department treats patients with acute or chronic kidney failure at various stages of severity. Services include outpatient evaluation of kidney failure, pre-dialysis monitoring for patients with advanced kidney failure, and renal replacement therapy through different forms of dialysis, including hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
The Department works closely with the hospital's Transplant Unit to facilitate kidney transplantation or combined organ transplantation for eligible patients.
The Department's team includes senior physicians specializing in nephrology and internal medicine, certified dialysis nurses, dietitians, a social worker, and administrative staff.
The Department is affiliated with Tel Aviv University's School of Medicine and actively participates in medical student education. In addition to their clinical work, the Department's physicians are involved in clinical and basic research in the field of nephrology.
Units and Clinics
The Dialysis Unit provides hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis treatments for patients whose kidneys are no longer functioning properly.
When kidney failure occurs, toxic waste products accumulate in the body. Patients may also experience increased blood pressure, fluid retention, and insufficient production of red blood cells. In such cases, treatment is required to replace the function of the failing kidneys. The treatment options currently available for chronic kidney failure are kidney transplantation and dialysis.
Dialysis is a method of removing waste products, toxins, and excess fluids from the blood of patients whose kidneys are no longer functioning.
The Dialysis Unit is divided into separate treatment rooms, each accommodating between 3 and 9 patients, creating a relatively homogeneous environment. This arrangement helps make patients' time in the Unit more comfortable, encourages social connections among patients, and helps prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Each dialysis station is equipped with a personal television, and patients are provided with a sandwich and a hot drink during treatment.
Because dialysis requires patients to spend many hours in the Unit, the medical team strives to be attentive to their needs and address health concerns that are not directly related to kidney disease, helping patients avoid unnecessary appointments and inconvenience.
To strengthen patients' connection with the Unit, each patient receives warm, personalized care and is assigned a dedicated nurse who is responsible for their care and accompanies them throughout treatment. Each nurse is responsible for approximately seven patients, monitoring continuity of care and answering patients' questions.
Each patient is also assigned a physician who oversees their treatment, monitors any medical problems that arise, and adjusts medication as needed.
The Nephrology Department works closely with the Transplant Unit and other hospital departments.
The Peritoneal Dialysis Clinic provides care for patients with advanced kidney failure who require dialysis and choose to undergo peritoneal dialysis at home. The clinic's physicians and nurses are responsible for periodically monitoring patients' health and the quality of their peritoneal dialysis treatment.
Peritoneal dialysis is a form of dialysis performed at the patient's home, either independently or, when the patient is unable to perform the treatment, with the assistance of a caregiver, such as a family member or a home care worker.
Peritoneal dialysis is a method in which the blood is filtered within the patient's body. The treatment uses the peritoneum, the membrane lining the abdominal cavity, as a semipermeable barrier through which fluids and dissolved substances are exchanged.
To undergo treatment, the patient must first have a dedicated catheter (Tenckhoff catheter) surgically inserted into the abdominal cavity. The procedure is performed by a senior surgeon specializing in this type of surgery.
Special dialysis fluid is introduced into the abdominal cavity through the catheter. The fluid comes into contact with the peritoneal membrane and absorbs toxins, various salts, and excess fluids.
Following surgery, the person primarily responsible for administering treatment must learn how to perform the procedure and recognize situations that require contacting or visiting the Dialysis Unit.
Training begins at the hospital and continues at the patient's home, where a personal instructor provides guidance in the home environment. Home treatment begins only when the medical team is confident that the patient or caregiver can perform dialysis safely and independently.
Although treatment takes place at home, patients are never left without support. A telephone support system is available to help resolve problems, and patients have direct means of contacting their medical team.
The Dialysis Unit serves as a central source of support for all patients, and a nephrologist is available at the hospital 24 hours a day to address emergencies.
Hemodialysis treatment uses a machine that replaces the kidneys' function by filtering the blood and removing waste products and toxins from the body.
The Dialysis Unit at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov) currently treats more than 200 patients. Chronic dialysis treatment is provided to patients with advanced chronic kidney disease, whose kidney function is estimated to be below 15% before starting treatment.
Hemodialysis requires patients to be connected to a dialysis machine for several hours, several times a week.
Hemodialysis is a method of removing waste products, toxins, and excess fluids from the blood of patients whose kidneys are no longer functioning. The process is performed using an artificial kidney.
Blood drawn from the patient's blood vessels passes through the artificial kidney on one side of a semipermeable membrane, while a specially formulated dialysis solution flows along the other side.
Water and waste products from the patient's blood pass through the membrane, whose pores are too small to allow blood cells and proteins to pass through. The filtered blood is then returned to the patient's body through a vein.
Before beginning hemodialysis treatment, patients receive a medical explanation of the procedure and sign an informed consent form.
Treatment requires vascular access, usually created through surgery to form an arteriovenous fistula (a connection between an artery and a vein), performed several weeks to months before dialysis begins. In appropriate cases, a central venous catheter may be used instead.
During dialysis, blood is transferred to the machine for filtration and purification and then returned to the body.
Each treatment lasts approximately 4–6 hours and is usually performed three times a week. In some cases, treatment may also be provided overnight while the patient sleeps.
A kidney transplant is not just a medical procedure; it is a new beginning and a way of life. The Kidney Transplant Clinic at Ichilov Hospital is one of the most advanced and well-established in Israel, combining extensive clinical experience, medical innovation, and personalized care. Thanks to the expertise, professionalism, extensive experience, and comprehensive care provided by its multidisciplinary team, Ichilov is among the leading medical centers in kidney transplantation.
The Kidney Transplant Center at Ichilov is one of Israel's leading centers, with over 30 years of experience in kidney transplantation, including complex and repeat transplants, transplants from incompatible donors, and combined kidney-pancreas or kidney-liver transplants. The Center offers advanced surgical transplantation techniques, manages complex medical conditions, and achieves success rates comparable to those of leading transplant centers worldwide.
The Center has an experienced multidisciplinary team that includes specialist surgeons, nephrologists, nurses, transplant coordinators, social workers, dietitians, and specialists from additional medical fields. Patients and their families receive personalized support throughout the entire process, from a comprehensive, coordinated medical evaluation during a short hospital stay, through preparation for surgery and the transplant itself, to close and ongoing medical follow-up afterward.
The Center operates specialized programs for the preparation and rehabilitation of older patients or those with reduced functional capacity, as well as weight-loss programs for patients with morbid obesity. In addition, comprehensive support is provided to living kidney donors before and after donation. Alongside its medical activities, the Center organizes conferences, educational sessions, and support events for transplant recipients, donors, and their families.
The Pre-Dialysis Clinic provides treatment for anemia, management of fluid balance, nursing and nutritional guidance, and preparation for renal replacement therapy.
The clinic aims to slow the deterioration of kidney function and thereby delay the need to begin dialysis; treat complications of kidney disease; familiarize patients with the different methods of renal replacement therapy—hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, or kidney transplantation; and prepare each patient for the most appropriate treatment method to ensure the best possible transition to dialysis.
To slow disease progression, regular medical follow-up, blood pressure control, smoking cessation, maintaining normal blood glucose levels in patients with diabetes, adherence to a diet adapted to kidney failure, and avoidance of medications that may cause further kidney damage are particularly important.
The Nephrology and Dialysis Department at Ichilov operates specialized and multidisciplinary clinics that provide focused care for patients with medical conditions involving nephrological aspects, such as kidney function and blood pressure, as well as patients with complex kidney diseases or conditions requiring a multidisciplinary approach.
These clinics combine nephrology expertise with other medical specialties, including oncology, rheumatology, maternal medicine, and glomerular diseases, to enable accurate diagnosis, personalized treatment, and continuous follow-up within a coordinated professional framework.
This integrated approach facilitates coordination between medical teams, comprehensive consideration of each patient's overall medical condition, and optimal treatment decisions for patients requiring advanced nephrological care.
Onco-Nephrology Clinic: The Onco-Nephrology Clinic provides diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up for oncology patients experiencing impaired kidney function or at risk of kidney damage due to cancer treatments. The clinic works closely with the oncology team to enable the safe and effective continuation of cancer treatment. Services include comprehensive evaluation of kidney function, medication adjustments, management of risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension, and personalized nephrological follow-up. The clinic is intended for any patient with cancer who is suspected of having kidney involvement resulting from the disease itself or its treatment.
Combined Rheumatology and Nephrology Clinic: The clinic is intended for patients with lupus who are suspected of having kidney involvement or have been diagnosed with lupus nephritis. It also serves patients with other rheumatic diseases involving the kidneys, such as vasculitis.
Pregnancy and Kidney Disease Clinic: The clinic is intended for women with hypertension or kidney disease—including reduced kidney function, protein in the urine, blood in the urine, structural kidney abnormalities, or a history of kidney transplantation—who are planning a pregnancy or are currently pregnant. The clinic combines the expertise of a gynecologist specializing in high-risk pregnancy and a nephrologist specializing in kidney disease during pregnancy.
Glomerular Diseases Clinic: A specialized clinic dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of patients with diseases affecting the glomeruli, the delicate filtering units of the kidneys.
The clinic serves patients with suspected or diagnosed conditions such as nephrotic syndrome, glomerulonephritis, IgA nephropathy, kidney diseases associated with systemic disorders, and other glomerular diseases.
Multidisciplinary Amyloidosis Clinic: Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov) operates a specialized amyloidosis clinic, a leading center for the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care of patients with suspected amyloidosis. The clinic brings together specialists from various medical fields involved in amyloidosis care, including hematology, cardiology, and nephrology.
The Multidisciplinary Amyloidosis Clinic is a specialized center for the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care of patients with suspected amyloidosis. The clinic brings together experts from different medical specialties involved in the treatment of amyloidosis, including hematology, cardiology, and nephrology.
Amyloidosis is a rare disease caused by the accumulation of abnormal proteins, known as amyloid proteins, in various organs of the body. These protein deposits may damage the heart, kidneys, nervous system, digestive system, and other organs. The disease often causes nonspecific symptoms, such as shortness of breath, fatigue, edema, weight loss, and nerve pain. As a result, many patients may go months or even years without an accurate diagnosis.
Early diagnosis is critical, as appropriate treatment at the right stage may improve symptoms, slow disease progression, and prolong life.
The clinic aims to provide rapid, accurate, multidisciplinary diagnosis; enable early initiation of treatment according to the specific type of amyloid; support patients and their community healthcare teams throughout further evaluation and treatment; reduce repeated hospitalizations; and improve quality of life.
Diagnosing amyloidosis is complex and requires extensive knowledge and experience. Its symptoms resemble those of more common conditions, such as heart failure, kidney disease, and neuromuscular disorders, which often leads to delayed diagnosis. The clinic offers a rapid, comprehensive, and accurate diagnostic process tailored to each patient's individual needs.
The clinic specializes in the diagnosis, consultation, and treatment of patients with kidney-related symptoms such as hematuria (blood in the urine) and proteinuria (protein in the urine), as well as patients with various kidney diseases, including inflammatory, congenital, or obstructive kidney disorders, kidney stones, familial kidney diseases (when several family members are affected by kidney disease), and different stages of kidney failure, including conditions requiring preparation for chronic dialysis.
The clinic also treats electrolyte imbalances, such as abnormal potassium and calcium levels in the blood, and conditions involving excessive urination (polyuria).
In addition, the clinic provides diagnosis and treatment of primary and secondary hypertension, including cases in which blood pressure is difficult to control by the treating physician. The clinic is equipped with advanced devices for 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.