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S ELF-CARE DIALYSIS IS the future of in-center dialysis. Don't many of us remember when we "had our gas pumped for us"? Yet today we think nothing of filling our own tanks. With self-care dialysis, the renal failure patient will take more responsibility for his or her own treatment. Patients will learn to set the dialysis machine, set the parameters for fluid removal and adjust the treatment depending on their condition on a given day. This gives patients more control over their disease and in turn improves their compliance. Self-care has been shown to improve adequacy of dialysis, survival, blood pres- sure, and dietary and fluid control. Patients doing self-care are hospitalized less often and have enhanced energy and vitality, improved appetite, and less insomnia. They are also more likely to continue to be employed. Self-care dialysis will lead to more home dialysis patients in the future because the patient will become more comfortable with the process. For medicine today, our challenge is to provide high-quality health care at lower costs. Self-care dialysis allows this Dialysis ++++++++++++++++++++ +++ + +++ + ++++++++++++++++++++ ❮ NEPHROLOGY By Dennis L. Ross, MD Kansas Nephrology Physicians, P.A. Under the medical directorship of Omar Ali, MD, Wesley Medical Center's structural heart program provides a range of the latest heart valve procedures. is includes minimally invasive options that can treat and reverse the symptoms of heart valve conditions, such as aortic stenosis, for patients where open heart surgery is not an option. e Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure uses a small incision on the leg to place a new aortic valve inside the heart, signi cantly reducing surgery and recovery times. Minimal Surgery. Maximizing Lives. Omar Ali, MD, Medical Director, Wesley Structural Heart Program Visit Wesleymc.com/heart for more information, or call 316.962.6340 to refer a patient to the Wesley Heart Valve Clinic. Medical Center ‚e Structural Heart Program at Wesley Medical Center to happen. While there will be patients who will not be able to set up their own machine or do their treatments, most of today's dialysis patients are capable of learn- ing to dialyze themselves with instruction from dialysis nurses. Newer equipment is being developed that makes this option even easier and safer. Advanced computerization, improved water systems and innovations in vascular access will facilitate self-care in the future. ■ Sel-ar "For medicine today, our challenge is to provide high- quality health care at lower costs. Self-care dialysis allows this to happen." — Dennis L. Ross, MD, Kansas Nephrology Physicians, P.A. M D N E W S . CO M ■ MD NEWS Greater Kansas | 9