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Dr. Vikas Ramnath Dharnidharka, MD, MPH

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Specializes in: Pediatric Nephrology and General Pediatrics
Professional interests include: peritoneal dialysis, dialysis, kidney problems, and more.
1 Children's Place Nwt 9
Saint Louis, MO 63110

Dr. Vikas Ramnath Dharnidharka, MD, MPH is a pediatric nephrologist in Saint Louis, MO specializing in pediatric nephrology and general pediatrics. Dr. Vikas Ramnath Dharnidharka, MD, MPH is affiliated with Washington University Physicians, St. Louis Children's Hospital, BJC HealthCare, Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) and Mercy Health System.

View Doctor's Full Profile (314) 454-2341

Office Locations

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Address:

1 Children's Place Nwt 9
Saint Louis, MO 63110

Address:

1 Childrens Place
Saint Louis, MO 63110

Some issues Dr. Vikas Ramnath Dharnidharka, MD, MPH 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.

Peritoneal Dialysis

Peritoneal dialysis is a procedure that imitates renal (kidney) function by filtering patients' blood. When the 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.

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 peritoneal dialysis can be vital for those with renal dysfunction. Peritoneal dialysis may be a more convenient alternative to hemodialysis, which requires going into a clinic.

In The News 

“"These patients have already gone through the harrowing experience of failure of an organ, then the joy of getting an organ transplant, followed by the shock of knowing they now have a cancer,"...”—"Access is Critical for Upcoming Rare Cancer Treatment, Physicians' Paper Explains", WIVB, October 2022

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Vikas Ramnath Dharnidharka, MD, MPH for Medicare patients.

doctor visit 37

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Vikas Ramnath Dharnidharka, MD, MPH.

Gender
Male 1
Female 1
Age
75 to 84
85 and over
Less than 65 16
65 to 74

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Vikas Ramnath Dharnidharka, MD, MPH From 2013 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Vikas Ramnath Dharnidharka, MD, MPH treated were chronic kidney disease and hypertension.

Hypertension 26
High Cholesterol
Stroke
Ischemic Heart Disease
Depression
Chronic Kidney Disease 60
Asthma
Osteoporosis
Heart Failure
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Diabetes
Atrial Fibrillation
Cancer
Dementia

Education & Training

He has a state license in Missouri.

Licensed In: Missouri

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Vikas Ramnath Dharnidharka, MD, MPH is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Washington University Physicians
St. Louis Children's Hospital
BJC HealthCare
Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL)
Mercy Health System

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General Payments

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

Payments by Company
GENZYME CORPORATION $5,071 THYMOGLOBULIN
$5,071
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C. $4,477 NULOJIX
$1,302
$3,175
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC $3,863 THYMOGLOBULIN
$3,815 		RENVELA
$48
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. $3,787 SOLIRIS
$3,739
$48
SANOFI US SERVICES INC. $724
$724
Other $2,186 ZOLGENSMA
$657 		ACTHAR
$210 		ACTHAR- NEPH
$167 		NON BRAND
$115 		TARPEYO
$101 		Other
$936
Types of Payments
Consulting Fee $14,017
Travel and Lodging $2,062
Food and Beverage $1,873
Compensation for services other than consulting, including serving as faculty or as a speaker at a venue other than a continuing education program $1,500
Education $657

Research Payments

Dr. Vikas Ramnath Dharnidharka, MD, MPH has received 78 research payments totaling $288,203.

Biography

Dr. Vikas Dharnidharka's areas of specialization are pediatric nephrology and general pediatrics; he sees patients in Saint Louis, MO. Dr. Dharnidharka's clinical interests include intensive care, kidney problems, and renal (kidney) biopsy. His professional affiliations include Washington University Physicians, Mercy, and St. Louis Children's Hospital.

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