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Dr. Ahmed Alrifai, MD

(Dr. Ahmed Zeen Alabedeen Alrifai, M.D.)

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Specializes in: Adult Nephrology

Professional interests include: electrolyte disorders, hypertension (high blood pressure), kidney transplant, and more.

225 Smith Avenue N Suite 300
Saint Paul, MN 55102

(651) 241-5000

Dr. Ahmed Alrifai, MD is a nephrologist in Saint Paul, MN specializing in adult nephrology. Dr. Ahmed Alrifai, MD is affiliated with Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Allina Health and Mayo Clinic.

Office Locations

Address:

225 Smith Avenue N Suite 300
Saint Paul, MN 55102

Address:

225 Smith Avenue N Suite 300
Saint Paul, MN 55102

Some issues Dr. Ahmed Alrifai, MD can help you with:

Dialysis

Dialysis is a procedure that replicates renal (kidney) function by filtering patients' blood. When kidneys do not work properly, waste can accumulate in the blood and unbalanced chemicals can impair the body's critical functions. In order to stay healthy, a person without proper kidney function must receive dialysis. There are two forms of dialysis treatment: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Both forms of dialysis are recurring treatments that in many cases last throughout the lifetime of the affected patient. Patients who briefly lose renal function may slowly reduce the frequency of dialysis sessions until their kidneys recover. However, most patients who start on dialysis remain on dialysis for the rest of their lives or until they receive a kidney transplant.

A number of conditions can worsen renal function and lead to end-stage or acute kidney failure. When kidneys fail (i.e. nearly 90 percent of their function is lost), dialysis is typically prescribed. Conditions that cause chronic kidney failure (eventually requiring dialysis) include:

Type 1 and 2 Diabetes
Pyelonephritis, recurring kidney infection
Glomerulonephritis, inflammation of the kidney's filtering parts
Polycystic kidney disease
Interstitial nephritis, inflammation of the kidney's tubules
High blood pressure
Vesicoureteral reflux, improper bladder emptying

For hemodialysis (the more common form of dialysis), a patient will visit a hospital or clinic and be connected to a dialysis machine by a needle attached to a tube that draws blood from the arm. The drawn blood is transferred to the dialysis machine, where it is filtered and separated until clean. Waste products from the blood pass into a fluid called dialysate, which is pumped out of the machine into a waste receptacle. The machine also measures and helps ensure the blood has the appropriate level of fluid, electrolytes, and pH. A tube delivers the cleaned blood back into the patient's body. A dialysis session like this will typically last for three to four hours, with a patient undergoing dialysis around three times per week.

A second method of dialysis is known as peritoneal dialysis. Unlike hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis can be performed at home by oneself after an initial surgery. To start, a physician (generally a surgeon) will make a small incision in the lower abdomen and insert and surgically attach a catheter (thin tube). At home, the patient connects a pump to the abdomen catheter, delivering dialysate (dialysis fluid) from a bag hanging on a wheeled stand. This fluid enters the peritoneal cavity (greater abdomen area containing the stomach, liver, and intestines) and collects waste through osmosis, where waste in the blood moves across a membrane and into the dialysate. This process continues for several hours until the fluid concentration is equal between the blood and dialysate, at which point the fluid can be drained. The fluid can then be passed through a machine called a cycler, which removes waste and allows for the dialysate to be reused. This process is repeated about four times per day. Dialysis patients must limit the amount of fluid they consume prior to receiving dialysis and should also avoid eating salty foods. The cycler cannot filter more than a certain amount of waste products from the blood.

Kidneys are important organs, and dialysis treatments are vital for those with renal dysfunction. For many, dialysis is not so much a medical procedure but a part of their normal life.

Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are hard deposits that form in the kidneys, made up of minerals that are normally present in urine. They can vary in size, from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a nickel, occasionally even larger. Sometimes they lodge in the kidney, and sometimes they break free and make their way out through the urinary tract, which can be extremely painful.

Kidney stones can be smooth or jagged and are yellow to brown in color. They are mostly comprised of the minerals calcium, oxalate, and phosphorus. Examining the stones to see what they are made of can show what caused the stone to be formed in the first place. For example, a stone made of mostly calcium, which is the most common type, can happen any time the urine becomes too concentrated due to dehydration or a blockage in the kidney. A uric acid stone forms when acid levels in the urine get too high, usually due to excessive consumption of animal protein such as meat and fish. A struvite stone is a sign of certain infections, and a cystine stone can be due to a genetic disorder that raises the risk of kidney stones.

The most common symptom of kidney stones is pain, either in the back or lower abdomen, or severe pain when urinating. There may also be blood in the urine. Treatment for kidney stones depends on how large the stone is. Very small stones can pass out of the body on their own, and they do not require treatment other than drinking adequate water and taking pain killers. Larger stones need to be broken apart and removed. The main treatment options are:

Shock wave lithotripsy, which uses sound wave vibrations to break apart the stone
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy, or the use of a very tiny tool (like a wire inserted through the back) to break apart and remove the stone
Ureteroscopy, a thin tube inserted through the urethra and bladder to the stone, where tiny tools can grasp the stone and remove

People who have had one kidney stone are at risk of developing another. To reduce this risk, patients are given instructions specific to the type of stone they developed. Generally the instructions will include drinking more water to dilute the urine, but it may also involve lowering sodium intake or eating less meat.

doctor visit	136

**Gender**
Male	98
Female	154

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	174
Black	78
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	76
From 75 to 84	86
85 and over	44
Less than 65	46

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	62
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	33
Depression	17
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	21
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	0
Heart Failure	28
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	31
Diabetes	58
Dementia	15
Cancer	0

doctor visit	588
hospital care	209
inpatient care	209

**Gender**
Male	107
Female	141

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	167
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	77
From 75 to 84	80
85 and over	31
Less than 65	60

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	64
Stroke	8
Ischemic Heart Disease	33
Depression	21
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	37
Osteoperosis	6
Atrial Fibrilation	13
Heart Failure	39
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	35
Diabetes	60
Dementia	16
Cancer	9

dialysis	60
doctor visit	757
hospital care	259
inpatient care	259

**Gender**
Male	143
Female	194

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	221
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	132
From 75 to 84	92
85 and over	35
Less than 65	78

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	61
Stroke	8
Ischemic Heart Disease	39
Depression	28
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	4
Atrial Fibrilation	14
Heart Failure	33
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	28
Diabetes	58
Dementia	16
Cancer	9

dialysis	43
doctor visit	907
hospital care	318
inpatient care	318

**Gender**
Male	206
Female	267

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	302
Black	157
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	175
From 75 to 84	130
85 and over	56
Less than 65	112

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	69
Stroke	9
Ischemic Heart Disease	45
Depression	25
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	6
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	40
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	32
Diabetes	59
Dementia	14
Cancer	9

dialysis	20
doctor visit	1187
hospital care	384
inpatient care	384

**Gender**
Male	245
Female	319

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	363
Black	188
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	211
From 75 to 84	150
85 and over	81
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	69
Stroke	9
Ischemic Heart Disease	41
Depression	25
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	7
Atrial Fibrilation	12
Heart Failure	35
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	31
Diabetes	56
Dementia	15
Cancer	9

doctor visit	889
hospital care	402
inpatient care	402

**Gender**
Male	216
Female	288

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	305
Black	179
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	194
From 75 to 84	141
85 and over	70
Less than 65	99

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	73
Stroke	7
Ischemic Heart Disease	43
Depression	26
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	7
Atrial Fibrilation	12
Heart Failure	38
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	32
Diabetes	56
Dementia	18
Cancer	11

doctor visit	26
hospital care	2545
inpatient care	2545

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2015 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Ahmed Alrifai, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Ahmed Alrifai, MD treated as a nephrologist in Saint Paul, MN were hospital care, inpatient care and dialysis.

dialysis	41
doctor visit	643
hospital care	686
inpatient care	686

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2015 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ahmed Alrifai, MD.

**Gender**
Male	101
Female	136

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	60
Asian / Pacific Islander	0
Non-Hispanic White	153
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	0
Other	0

**Age**
75 to 84	67
85 and over	31
Less than 65	39
65 to 74	86

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ahmed Alrifai, MD From 2015 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Ahmed Alrifai, MD treated were chronic kidney disease, hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes.

Hypertension	45
High Cholesterol	39
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	23
Depression	14
Chronic Kidney Disease	45
Asthma	8
Osteoporosis	3
Heart Failure	21
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	18
Diabetes	34
Atrial Fibrillation	6
Cancer	4
Dementia	9

Education & Training

He is certified by the Board Certification: Nephrology and has a state license in Kentucky.

Board Certification: Board Certification: Nephrology

Licensed In: Kentucky

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Ahmed Alrifai, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Abbott Northwestern Hospital

Allina Health

Mayo Clinic

Ratings & Reviews

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General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Ahmed Alrifai, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Mallinckrodt LLC	$34 ACTHAR $34
Novo Nordisk Inc	$17 RYBELSUS $17
Fresenius USA Marketing, Inc.	$15 Velphoro $15
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation	$14 NON-PRODUCT $14