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Dr. Kerri Lyn Cavanaugh, MHS, MD

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Specializes in: Adult Nephrology

Professional interests include: chronic kidney disease (CKD), dialysis

1301 Medical Center Drive Suite 2501
Nashville, TN 37232

(615) 343-7592

Dr. Kerri Lyn Cavanaugh, MHS, MD is a nephrologist in Nashville, TN specializing in adult nephrology. Dr. Kerri Lyn Cavanaugh, MHS, MD is affiliated with Vanderbilt Health.

Office Locations

Address:

1301 Medical Center Drive Suite 2501
Nashville, TN 37232

Unable to locate address.

Address:

3601 The Vanderbilt Clinic
Nashville, TN 37232

Some issues Dr. Kerri Lyn Cavanaugh, MHS, 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.

In The News

“The team, headed by Dr. Kerri L. Cavanaugh, a nephrologist, pointed out that within the general population, most people with kidney disease don't know they have it.”—"Doctors Hone Message on Kidney Disease (Published 2011)", New York Times, August 2011

doctor visit	50

**Gender**
Male	30
Female	43

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	55
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	24
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	38

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	47
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	45
Depression	38
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	18
Heart Failure	45
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	21
Diabetes	58
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	0
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	0
Depression	0
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	0
Heart Failure	0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	0
Diabetes	0
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

doctor visit	45

**Gender**
Male	44
Female	58

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	72
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	50
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	28

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	61
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	57
Depression	37
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	0
Heart Failure	55
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	31
Diabetes	63
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

doctor visit	27

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	0
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	59
Depression	0
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	0
Heart Failure	0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	0
Diabetes	59
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

doctor visit	25

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	52
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	52
Depression	0
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	0
Heart Failure	0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	0
Diabetes	0
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	0
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	0
Depression	0
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	0
Heart Failure	0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	0
Diabetes	0
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2018

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Kerri Lyn Cavanaugh, MHS, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	37

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2018

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Kerri Lyn Cavanaugh, MHS, MD.

**Gender**
Male	7
Female	10

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	0
Asian / Pacific Islander	0
Non-Hispanic White	12
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	0
Other	0

**Age**
75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	6
65 to 74	7

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Kerri Lyn Cavanaugh, MHS, MD From 2013 - 2018

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Kerri Lyn Cavanaugh, MHS, MD treated were chronic kidney disease, hypertension, ischemic heart disease and diabetes.

Hypertension	45
High Cholesterol	16
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	21
Depression	7
Chronic Kidney Disease	45
Asthma	0
Osteoporosis	0
Heart Failure	10
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	5
Diabetes	18
Atrial Fibrillation	1
Cancer	0
Dementia	0

Education & Training

She has a state license in Tennessee.

Licensed In: Tennessee

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Kerri Lyn Cavanaugh, MHS, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Vanderbilt Health

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Biography

Dr. Kerri Cavanaugh practices adult nephrology in Nashville, TN. Dr. Cavanaugh's clinical interests include chronic kidney disease (CKD) and dialysis. She is professionally affiliated with Vanderbilt Health.