Interventional Nephrology Fellowship

MESSAGE FROM THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR 

I would like to warmly welcome you and thank you for showing an interest in our interventional nephrology fellowship program. Historically, we have been one of the first programs in the country to provide such training. Over the last 2 decades, we have trained several nephrologists who have gone on to have successful and satisfying careers. It is a badge of honor to see our former fellows presenting at various national conferences. Our strength lies in our diversity, our camaraderie and having nationally recognized faculty. Even if you are a novice at procedures, we provide simulated training at the beginning of the fellowship.

Most of your training will be hands on with actual patients. Our program has 4 interventional nephrologists who will assist and train you.  The fellows will become familiar with the use of ultrasound, reading angiograms, placing hemodialysis catheters amongst other things. In addition, we work closely with our vascular surgeons to provide thorough access care. Our fellows are exposed to the entire gamut of access dysfunction and learn very quickly how to diagnose access problems, formulate a plan and develop procedural competence.  

As you glance through the website, please familiarize yourself with the objectives of the program, your rotations for the year and lastly how to apply. On behalf of my team, I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Regards,
Adrian Sequeira, MD, FACP, FASN, FASDIN
Professor of Clinical Medicine

The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) has not been able to provide a separate training track for interventional nephrology as the number eligible candidate is too small. Hence the American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology (ASDIN) has set the standards for training and certification in this subspeciality.

The interventional nephrologists at LSUHS are ABIM certified in nephrology as well as certified by ASDIN to provide Hemodialysis Vascular access (HVA) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) access care.

Our interventionalist are actively involved with ASDIN and serve of several of its committees. They have presented and conducted workshops both nationally and internationally. 

The team at LSUHS also includes our vascular surgery colleagues, who assist us in providing all-inclusive access care.

   

TRAINING:

This 1-year fellowship is provided to physicians who have completed their nephrology fellowship and are board certified in Internal Medicine. The goal is providing a structured program so that the fellow has a comprehensive understanding of dialysis access care, is proficient in procedures, can recognize complications and partner with surgeons to provide patient specific care.
Over one year, the fellow will:
  1. Spend most of your time in the interventional suite learning procedures under the direct supervision of our faculty.
  2. Spend a few months on electives and research.
  3. Participate in  ASDIN approved didactic curriculum and in multispecialty interventional mortality and morbidity conferences.
  4. Pursue one or more dialysis access research projects
  5. Take nephrology call in the fellow rotation schedule.

CONTACT US

Program Director:
Interventional Nephrology
Adrian Sequeira, MD
adrian.sequeira@lsuhs.edu
(318) 675-7402

Program Administrator:
Interventional Nephrology
Samantha Navarre Leone
samantha.navarre@lsuhs.edu
(318) 675-7403

OBJECTIVES:

  • Develop familiarity with the various types of vascular access.
  • Learn the pathophysiology and management options of access dysfunction.
  • Learn physical examination skills to identify signs of access dysfunction.
  • Learn the basics of radiation safety.
  • Provide supervised hands on training of various interventional procedures.
  • Recognize procedural complications and learn how to manage them.
  • Learn the basis of ultrasound and its use in the management of access dysfunction.
  • Participate and present research initiatives at various interventional nephrology research conferences (locally and nationally).
  • Foster collaborative work with general surgery, vascular surgery as well as other interventional fields.

PROCEDURES:

  1. Ultrasound of an arteriovenous fistula or graft.
  2. Ultrasound guided kidney biopsy.
  3. Ultrasound guided access cannulation.
  4. Ultrasound evaluation of the abdomen prior to peritoneal dialysis catheter placement.
  5. Central venous catheter placement for dialysis or for IV access for chemotherapy, plasma exchange etc.
  6. Placement and removal of tunneled dialysis catheters.
  7. Placement and removal of peritoneal dialysis catheter.
  8. Peritoneogram to evaluate peritoneal dialysis catheter malfunction.
  9. Angiogram and angioplasty of the dialysis access
  10. CO2 angiogram
  11. Thrombectomy
  12. Stent deployment within the access
  13. Coiling of accessory veins
  14. Banding of the dialysis access

  


Important Information While Applying

  1. Application requirements: CV, Personal statement, 2 LORS (one from the nephrology program director)
  2. Candidate Requirements:  Candidates must be board certified in Internal Medicine by ABIM & have completed their Nephrology Fellowship in the United States.
  3. Application Deadline: October 15th (subject to change)
  4. Interviews: November (subject to change)
  5. Contract signing:  January (subject to change)
  6. Duration of the program: 1 year.  Since this is not an ACGME accredited fellowship, it does not need an ERAS application.
  7. Visa: We do not sponsor H1 visas.

Email the above documents to the IN-program director or the program coordinator.

CERTIFICATION

Fellows are eligible for ASDIN certification in HVA procedures if they have completed the minimum number of procedures defined by ASDIN. It is the responsibility of the fellow to monitor these numbers and maintain logs of the cases. 

ASDIN REQUIREMENTS:
The American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology (ASDIN) sets the requirements for certification in hemodialysis vascular access (HVA) and peritoneal dialysis access. Further information is available at the ASDIN website.

   

Team of doctors in clinic