Photo of child being seen by a nephrology provider

Pediatric Nephrology

The division of nephrology provides comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic services for children with all types of renal disease including hypertension, urinary tract infections, acute and chronic glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome and renal failure. Children with chronic renal failure and end-stage renal disease are treated by a high-skilled team offering hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and renal transplant.

Notably, the division of nephrology and the division of transplant surgery have established the only multidisciplinary pediatric kidney transplant clinic in the state of South Carolina, which offers care to children who are being evaluated for a kidney transplant as well as those who are post-transplant. The division also maintains membership in the Pediatric Nephrology Research Consortium (PNRC), which is a nationwide group of pediatric nephrology care team members with the goal to improve and promote high-quality care of pediatric nephrology patients through collaborative clinical and translational research.

Medical Services

  • Hemodialysis
  • Continual renal replacement therapy (CRRT)
  • Peritoneal dialysis
  • Apheresis
  • Renal biopsy
  • 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
  • Pediatric kidney stone comprehensive analysis and management
  • Renal transplant

Our Providers

Staff

  • Stacy Sipple - Nephrology Care Coordinator
  • Kimberly Marie Lewis- Administrative Assistant

Training Programs

The division provides electives in nephrology to third and fourth-year medical students and for pediatric residents. More than 1,500 visits are handled in the pediatric nephrology clinic each year. Weekly seminars deal with renal pathology, nephrology, urology, and patient-care problems. The house officer is exposed to a variety of renal problems and participates in the care of dialysis and transplant patients.

Research Programs

Ongoing Research Projects

  • Comprehensive Pediatric Hypertension and Diagnosis (AHRQ)
  • Treatment outcomes of antibody mediated rejection (MWPNC)
  • Treatment of Drug-resistant Pediatric Primary Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis Using Liposorber® LA-15 System (Kaneka)
  • PARAMOUr “PediAtric Renal AMr Outcomes” (PNRC)
  • Kidney Interventions During Membrane Oxygenation (KIDMO) Study Group
  • Neonatal Kidney Collaborative
  • Assessment of Worldwide Acute Kidney injury Epidemiology in Neonates (AWAKEN) Study group 
  • Acute Renal Injury Sequelae in NICU Graduates (ARISING) U34 Study 
  • Assessment of Worldwide Acute Kidney Injury, Renal Angina and Epidemiology in critically ill children (AWARE) AWARE study group

Quality Improvement Initiatives

Contact Us

Katherine Twombley, MD, FAAP, FAST
Chief, Pediatric Nephrology
Medical Director, Pediatric Kidney Transplant
Medical Director, Acute Dialysis Units
Medical University of South Carolina
96 Jonathan Lucas Street
CSB 428, MSC 608
Charleston, SC 29425
Phone: 843-792-8904
Fax: 843-792-2033
Email: pedsneph@musc.edu