My Doctor Online The Permanente Medical Group
Are you having back pain with any of the following?
- Severe pain, weakness or tingling in your leg(s).
- Difficulty stopping urination or loss of control of bladder or bowels.
- Unexplained fever, nausea or vomiting.
- A history of cancer or unexplained weight loss.
We understand that you are experiencing one or more of the health issues that might be impacting your back pain.
We recommend that you discuss these health issues with your doctor before proceeding with this program.
Once you are cleared by your doctor to do this program, we hope it helps you find relief from your back pain.
Overview
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Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is an inherited disorder. In most cases one of the parents has the condition. Sometimes there may also be a sibling with the condition. A cyst is a small fluid-filled pouch that forms in the kidneys. If you have polycystic kidney disease, you may have multiple cysts or have several cysts form over time in your kidneys. The cysts can cause the kidneys to swell and become larger than normal.
PKD is a chronic condition and the condition can get worse over time as the cysts grow and replace normal kidney tissue, causing hypertension (high blood pressure), pain over the kidneys, or kidney stones. In its most severe form, polycystic kidney disease can cause kidney failure.
In the early stages, treatment usually consists of medications to control the symptoms associated with the condition (such as high blood pressure). In later stages of the disease, if it is appropriate, we may recommend surgery, dialysis, or a kidney transplant.
Ask us if you have been diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease and want more information about how it can affect your family members.
Additional References:
- External Link to Polycystic Kidney Foundation
Symptoms
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Polycystic kidney disease can include a wide range of signs and symptoms, such as:
- Blood in the urine
- Sudden abdominal or back pain if a cyst breaks open
- Continued pain in the abdominal (trunk) region
- High blood pressure or heart murmurs
- Kidney stones
- Unexplained strokes
- Cysts founds in other organs
If you experience any of these symptoms, let us know, as they can be serious, but they may or may not indicate that you have polycystic kidney disease.
Causes
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Polycystic kidney disease is most often an inherited disease. You are at high risk for having PKD if your mother or father also had PKD. The disease most often affects adults, though a rare form of the disease may also be present in infants or children.
Even if PKD runs in your family, researchers still do not know how cyst formation in the kidneys begins. Cyst formation leads to a wide range of symptoms and the disease may be detected as a result of managing these symptoms.
Diagnosis
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If you are having symptoms of polycystic kidney disease or unexplained kidney disease, we may request one or more of the following types of diagnostic tests:
- Imaging tests. This is the most common way that PKD is diagnosed. Imaging tests such as ultrasound, X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT) scans can produce a picture of the kidneys and abdominal region to look for evidence of cysts.
- Blood tests. These tests will measure the levels of certain waste products and minerals in the blood. Blood tests also screen for autoimmune disorders, infection, and other possible causes of renal failure.
- Urine tests. Urine tests can measure the amount of cells and protein in your urine. Such measurements indicate not only whether the kidneys are functioning properly, but also what the cause of the renal failure may be.
- Genetic tests. Can help establish if there is family history of PKD by looking for the presence of the PKD gene.
Treatments
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The goals of treatment for PKD are primarily to manage the symptoms associated with the condition and manage kidney disease if it develops.
For example, medications used to treat high blood pressure, along with a heart-healthy, low-salt diet, are vital to managing heart-related symptoms of PKD. Problematic cysts, particularly those that cause pain or bleeding or obstruct kidney function, may need to be drained. Additionally, antibiotics may be used to treat a urinary tract infection (UTI), if present.
Advanced PKD
In instances of advanced or late-stage PKD, dialysis or kidney transplants may be needed.
Dialysis is a medical procedure that recreates the functions of the kidneys by removing waste material and excess fluid from the bloodstream. There are 2 main types of dialysis: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Dialysis may either be short- or long-term depending upon the type of condition.
If the kidneys are permanently damaged, a kidney transplant may be an opportunity to live a normal life, free of kidney disease. A healthy kidney may be donated by a family member or friend, or another donor, provided that donor is a good match for your body and blood type.
Additional References:
Your Care with Me
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If you are having symptoms that concern you, your first contact will typically be with your personal physician, who will evaluate your health and symptoms.
If specialty care is needed, your personal physician will facilitate the process of scheduling an appointment in my department. If appropriate, she or he might call me or one of my colleagues while you are in the office so we can all discuss your care together. If we decide you need an appointment with me after that discussion, we can often schedule it the same day or soon thereafter.
During your office visit, we will discuss your medical and family history and I will perform a physical exam. I will explain the findings of your exam and answer any questions or concerns you may have. We will discuss treatment options and develop a treatment plan that is right for you.
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If you need to talk with me after your visit or procedure, please call my office. You can also e-mail me with nonurgent issues from this website whenever it is convenient for you.
For general medical advice, our Appointment and Advice line is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
If you have urgent concerns or issues while my office is closed, or need general medical advice, you can call the Appointment and Advice line. You will be connected with a nurse who can give you immediate advice.
If you are experiencing a serious problem or an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Room when the clinic is not open.
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Coordinating Your Care
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Having all of our Kaiser Permanente departments located together or nearby, including pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, and health education, makes getting your care easier for you.
Another major benefit is our comprehensive electronic medical record system, which allows all of the doctors and clinicians involved in your care to stay connected on your health status and collaborate with each other as appropriate.
When every member of the health care team is aware of all aspects of your condition, care is safer and more effective.
If you come to an office visit
- At the beginning of your visit, you will receive information about when you are due for your next test, screening, or immunization. We can discuss and schedule any preventive tests that you need.
- At the end of your visit, you may receive a document called the “After Visit Summary” that will summarize the issues we discussed during your visit. You can refer to it if you forget what we discussed, or if you just want to recheck your vital signs and weight. You can also view it online under Past Visits.
- To help you prepare for your visit, please see additional details under Office Visit.
If I prescribe medications
We will work together to monitor and assess how your medications are working and make adjustments over time. Prescriptions can be filled at any Kaiser Permanente pharmacy. Just let me know which pharmacy works best for you, and I will send the prescription electronically in advance of your arrival at the pharmacy.
If refills are needed in the future, you can:
- Order them online or by phone. Order future refills from my home page or by phone using the pharmacy refill number on your prescription label.
- Have them delivered to you by mail at no extra cost. Or you can pick up your medications at the pharmacy. If no refills remain when you place your order, the pharmacy will contact me regarding your prescription.
If lab testing or imaging is needed
For lab tests, I will use our electronic medical record system to send the requisition to the Kaiser Permanente laboratory of your choice. For imaging procedures, we will schedule an appointment with the Radiology department. When the results are ready, I will contact you with your results by letter, secure e-mail message, or phone. In addition, you can view most of your laboratory results online, along with any comments that I have attached to explain them.
If I refer you to another specialty colleague
If we decide together that your condition would also benefit from the care of other types of specialists, our staff will help arrange the appointment(s) with one or more of my specialty colleagues.
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If Surgery or a Procedure Is a Treatment Option
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I will recommend that you review educational information and tools to help you prepare for your procedure or surgery. The information will often help you decide whether surgery is right for you. If you decide to have a surgery or procedure, the information will provide details about how to prepare and what to expect.
If you are considering surgery or a procedure for your kidney disease, please review our health tool called "Preparing for Your Procedure" (Emmi). It can help you decide whether it is right for you. It also provides you with additional information about how to prepare and what to expect. Emmi programs are available for the following kidney-related subjects:
- Adult anesthesia
- Kidney – becoming a donor
- Kidney transplant – living with a new kidney
- Kidney transplant (deceased donor)
- Kidney transplant (living donor)
- Organ transplant overview
- Taking warfarin
If we proceed with surgery, I will have my Surgery Scheduler contact you to determine a surgery date and provide you with additional instructions regarding your procedure. Once your surgery is scheduled, a medical colleague of mine will contact you to conduct a pre-operative medical evaluation that will assure that you are properly prepared for your surgery.
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Convenient Resources for You
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As your specialist, I have a goal to provide high-quality care and to offer you choices that make your health care convenient. I recommend that you become familiar with the many resources we offer so that you can choose the services that work best for you.
My Doctor Online is available at any time that is most convenient for you. From my home page you can:
Manage your care securely
- View and compose secure e-mail messages.
- Manage your prescriptions.
- View your past visits and test results.
- View your preventive services to see whether you are due for a routine screening or updated immunization.
Learn more about your condition
- Read about causes, symptoms, treatments, and procedures.
- Find interactive health tools, videos, and podcasts to help you manage your condition.
- View programs to help you decide on or prepare for a surgery or procedure.
Stay healthy
- Locate health education classes and support groups offered at every medical center.
- Explore interactive programs, videos, and podcasts that focus on helping you stay healthy.
- View your Preventive Services to see whether you are due for a routine screening or updated immunization.
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Related Health Tools:
Classes and Coaching
- Classes Classes
Interactive Programs
- Manage chronic conditions with Care™ for Your Health Manage chronic conditions with Care™ for Your Health
- Health Coach: Let's Get Physical Health Coach: Let's Get Physical
- Health Coach: S.M.A.R.T. Eating Health Coach: S.M.A.R.T. Eating
- Health Coach: Stress Less Health Coach: Stress Less
Podcasts
- Quitting Smoking Quitting Smoking
Prepare for Your Procedure
- Organ Transplant Overview (Emmi) Organ Transplant Overview (Emmi)
If you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. An emergency medical condition is any of the following: (1) a medical condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in serious jeopardy to your health or body functions or organs; (2) active labor when there isn't enough time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery, or if transfer poses a threat to your (or your unborn child's) health and safety, or (3) a mental disorder that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity such that either you are an immediate danger to yourself or others, or you are not immediately able to provide for, or use, food, shelter, or clothing, due to the mental disorder.
This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of specific medical advice or care you receive from your physician or other health care professional. If you have persistent health problems, or if you have additional questions, please consult with your doctor. If you have questions or need more information about your medication, please speak to your pharmacist. Kaiser Permanente does not endorse the medications or products mentioned. Any trade names listed are for easy identification only.