Medical Group of the Carolinas - Vascular Access Services - Pelham
Medical Group of the Carolinas - Vascular Access Services - Pelham
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About
When your kidneys are healthy, they clean your blood. But when they fail, you need treatment to replace the work your kidneys used to do. Unless you have a kidney transplant, you will need dialysis. Dialysis eliminates toxins and excess fluid from the blood in patients whose kidneys are no longer able to do so due to injury or disease.
Types of Dialysis
Hemodialysis is a process where the patient is physically connected to a machine that functions as an artificial kidney, which filters the blood and returns cleansed blood back to the body. Before hemodialysis can be done, a connection must be made to the blood inside your blood vessels. This is called vascular access.
Another method, peritoneal dialysis, involves filtration of the blood through a process that relies on the patient’s inner abdominal tissue lining called the peritoneum. Using a specialized catheter, a solution known as dialysate is inserted into the abdominal cavity, absorbing toxins and fluid from the blood. The catheter is a flexible, hollow tube about the size of a straw that is surgically placed in your lower abdomen. Small tubing is left outside the body that can be covered when not used.
At Medical Group of the Carolinas – Vascular Access Services, we offer the latest procedures in dialysis access, and we carefully evaluate our patients to determine the best possible treatment for each individual.
Dialysis Access Procedures Offered
- Percutaneous and open arteriovenous (AV) fistula placement
- Arteriovenous (AV) graft placement
- Laparoscopic peritoneal dialysis catheter placement
- Temporary and permanent dialysis catheter placement
- Tunneled hemodialysis catheter placement
- Access repair, revision and maintenance
- Endovascular procedures, including:
- Thrombectomy of clotted fistulas and grafts
- Angiogram and angioplasty procedures
- Treatment of the central venous system
Our practice is a member of Medical Group of the Carolinas (MGC), a large multi-specialty physician group serving Upstate South Carolina and parts of North Carolina. MGC doctors are dedicated to meeting your healthcare needs, from wellness and prevention to the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses.
Providers
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Additional Information
Insurance
We are participating providers for most medical insurance plans. Because there are a variety of options, please contact your insurance company or one of our patient access representatives to ensure our practice is a provider for your plan. Please remember to bring your insurance card with you.
We request payment for all office visits at the time of service. Co-pays are required for all insured patients. If you have questions about fees, our billing customer service team will be glad to assist you at 864-596-1001 or 800-281-5346.
Appointments
Please arrive 15-20 minutes before your appointment to fill out your medical history and registration forms. You may also be provided a health assessment or questionnaire to complete in advance of your visit. To cancel an appointment, please notify us 24 hours in advance so we can make the appointment available to another patient.
What to bring with you:
- Current medications
- Medication reconciliation form, if needed
- Photo ID, insurance, Medicare or Medicaid ID card
- Co-payment, if required by your insurance provider
- Prior medical records, including documentation of any allergies, chronic conditions, treatments or surgeries
- Questions for your doctor
Current patients can schedule appointments by phone, or use the MyChart patient portal or app to see available times.
Treatment Details
Arteriovenous Fistula
An arteriovenous fistula is a surgical connection of an artery to a vein. This connection creates a high flow of blood through the vein, which causes it to strengthen and grow larger to better tolerate the repeated needle punctures of dialysis. This dialysis access is durable, long-term and less likely to get infected.
Percutaneous Fistula
The Ellipsis percutaneous system is a newer, minimally invasive method of creating an arteriovenous fistula without open surgery. Using an ultrasound-guided technique, the connection between the artery and vein is made using the specialized Ellipsys thermal energy device. This state-of-the-art method of dialysis access placement offers select patients enhanced comfort and a quicker recovery. No surgical incision is required.
Tunneled Hemodialysis Catheter
Some patients require urgent or immediate dialysis, so a venous dialysis catheter must be placed to initiate hemodialysis. These tunneled catheters are placed into the large veins of the neck or the groin and offer temporary access for dialysis without needle sticks. However, dialysis access is not ideal for long-term treatment because of higher risks of infection and central venous stenosis.
Peritoneal Dialysis
Peritoneal dialysis catheter placement is a laparoscopic procedure that involves tunneling the dialysis catheter through the muscular layers of the abdominal wall and precise placement of the catheter tip into the lower abdominal cavity. Our meticulous technique offers safe and reliable results while minimizing catheter dysfunction.
Prescription Refills
If you are a patient currently using MyChart, you may be able to request a refill through the app or online portal. For prescriptions not available in MyChart, please make an appointment so a physician can evaluate if the medications need to be changed. It could take up to 24-48 business hours for a refill to be submitted.
Patient Records
Our practices use an electronic health record system that allows for a seamless patient experience through improved communications, timeliness, patient information storage and portability. This system, called MyChart, will allow you to view medications, allergies, health issues and recent visits.
New patients in our practices are asked to complete a medical release form before your appointment. The signed form gives us the ability to request medical records from other physician practices that you may have visited. This information provides our physicians with a more complete medical history. To obtain or transfer detailed medical records to another practice, please contact the Medical Records Office at 864-560-6273.