At one time, newborns with diseased or absent kidneys had few options other than adult-sized dialysis machines. Today, aquapheresis therapy is a treatment option to provide renal support for neonates.
In 2020, St. Louis Children’s Hospital began using aquapheresis therapy to care for babies with congenital or acquired renal disorders, one of few centers in the country to offer this advanced treatment.
Dr. Eileen Ciccia, Washington University pediatric nephrologist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, joins us to talk about renal disease in newborns, aquapheresis therapy, and its impact on NICU care.
At one time, newborns with diseased or absent kidneys had few options other than adult-sized dialysis machines. Today, aquapheresis therapy is a treatment option to provide renal support for neonates. 
The urology specialists at St. Louis Children's Hospital perform some of the most technologically advanced procedures when treating children, and is one of only a few pediatric facilities in the country—and the only one in the St. Louis region—to offer robotic surgery for children needing urologic procedures. In most of these cases, the children experience less pain, heal faster and benefit from stronger restoration than with the standard open surgical techniques.