Dr. Rachel Meredith Lestz, MD, MHS is a pediatric nephrologist in Los Angeles, CA specializing in pediatric nephrology. She graduated from New York Medical College. Dr. Rachel Meredith Lestz, MD, MHS is affiliated with Children's Hospital Los Angeles and CHILDRENS HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES MEDICAL GROUP INC.
4650 W Sunset Boulevard Ms #40
Los Angeles, CA 90027
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:
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.
Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Rachel Meredith Lestz, MD, MHS for Medicare patients.
The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Rachel Meredith Lestz, MD, MHS treated as a pediatric nephrologist in Los Angeles, CA were hospital care and inpatient care.
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| 46 | |
| 46 |
Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Rachel Meredith Lestz, MD, MHS.
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The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Rachel Meredith Lestz, MD, MHS treated were chronic kidney disease and hypertension.
| 26 | |
| 60 | |
Dr. Rachel Meredith Lestz, MD, MHS graduated from New York Medical College. She completed residency at Johns Hopkins University Affiliated Hospitals. She is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics - General Pediatrics American Board of Pediatrics - Pediatric Nephrology and has a state license in California.
Medical School: New York Medical College
Residency: Johns Hopkins University Affiliated Hospitals
Board Certification: American Board of Pediatrics - General Pediatrics American Board of Pediatrics - Pediatric Nephrology
Licensed In: California
Dr. Rachel Meredith Lestz, MD, MHS is associated with these hospitals and organizations:
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These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Rachel Meredith Lestz, MD, MHS. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.
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$30
OXLUMO $30 |
| $30 |
Dr. Rachel Lestz is a specialist in pediatric nephrology in Los Angeles, CA. Before performing her residency at a hospital affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Lestz attended New York Medical College for medical school. Dr. Lestz is professionally affiliated with Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
