Kidney disease can develop slowly with few symptoms, but prompt detection is critical. If you’re at risk for kidney disease—if you have diabetes or high blood pressure, or if kidney disease runs in your family—your doctor may recommend screening tests to catch it early, which gives you the best chance to stop or control the disease.

Sutter’s network includes nearly 150 nephrologists, doctors who specialize in kidney function and disease. If you’re experiencing symptoms of kidney malfunction, your nephrologist will recommend diagnostic testing including urine and blood tests to determine:

• If kidney disease exists.
• If your kidney disease developed suddenly or over a long time.
• Possible causes for kidney failure.
• Best treatments for your condition.
• When to begin dialysis.
• When to consider a kidney transplant.

Our care centers also offer advanced diagnostic options, such as ultrasound and ureteroscopy, to screen for kidney stones or other causes of renal failure, including obstruction or polycystic kidney disease.

If you need a kidney transplant, you’re in good hands: Sutter’s nationally recognized and kidney transplant teams perform hundreds of kidney transplants annually with excellent, life-changing outcomes.