Renal replacement therapy (RRT) is a treatment that’s used for children with kidney (renal) failure (when the kidneys stop working). This therapy uses a machine or another approach to take over the normal function of your child’s kidneys.

At University of Miami Health System, our critical care doctors work with pediatric nephrologists (kidney specialists), critical care nurses, and a technologist who specializes in using advanced RRT equipment. Your child receives expert care from an experienced team, including social workers and other staff who offer support and assistance during your child’s treatment.

Who is a Candidate?

If your child has kidney failure, part of their treatment will include dialysis (a process that filters your blood and removes harmful waste) while they’re waiting for a kidney transplant. If your child’s kidney failure comes on suddenly (acute renal failure), they may need continuous hemofiltration (another process that filters blood) until they’re stable enough to tolerate another, longer-term type of dialysis.

What to Expect

The main types of RRT are:

• Continuous hemofiltration and hemodialysis: A short-term treatment for critically ill children with acute kidney failure who are unable to tolerate other types of RRT. This treatment continuously filters the blood, without interruption.
• Intermittent hemodialysis: In this type of RRT, a machine filters wastes, salts, and fluid from the blood. You will receive hemodialysis in our clinic, usually three times a week for a session of three to five hours each.
• Peritoneal dialysis: This type uses the membrane that lines the abdomen and covers abdominal organs (peritoneum) to act as the filter for your child’s blood. This type of RRT may use a machine (automated peritoneal dialysis) or can be done without using a machine (manual).

Why Choose UHealth?

Comprehensive, family-centered care. We offer comprehensive, interdisciplinary care and management of complex medical conditions, as well as the continual involvement of parents and families. Our team spearheaded family-centered care as a standard for pediatric critical care, involving parents and families in our doctors' daily rounds to provide updates on status and progress.

Treating young patients from all over the world. Our critical care specialists have significant experience taking care of a culturally diverse patient population. Children and their families come from all over the world to receive quality care, compassionately delivered by outstanding pediatric specialists and other skilled medical professionals within our facilities.

Top-notch care in an academic health system. Backed by one of the nation’s top universities, our team uses the latest technologies and research-driven expertise to provide your child with superior, personalized care and the best outcomes possible. We’re the only academic health center in South Florida with developmental and behavioral pediatric specialists on staff.

Commitment to research and education. As part of a university-based health system, our critical care team is involved in several clinical trials at any given time. Our department houses a three-year fellowship program in pediatric critical care. Our ongoing involvement in research and training the next generation of pediatric critical care providers allows us to offer the latest innovative, emerging treatments more quickly and safely than other facilities.