Dina A Abdellatif (ISN Fellow)

In 2009 there was a project sponsored by the ministry of health in Egypt to initiate the peritoneal dialysis program so I applied for the ISN fellowship to be able to implement the program in our hospital. I got accepted and I was granted a 1 year fellowship at Sheffield kidney institute, Sheffield, UK. After finishing the first year I reapplied for another 6 months and it was accepted too.

Over 18 months, I was very lucky to have professor Martin Wilkie as my mentor. I really gained a lot of experiences attending clinics and ward rounds with him. peritoneal dialysis clinics learning how to asses patients and manage prescription and follow up. Moreover, I used to attend with nurses for PET tests and learn patients’ training, follow ups, joined them in home visits, follow up catheter problems.

In addition, I had the chance to attend with surgeons for PD catheter techniques mange complications and identify problems. Besides, I was able to follow up patients on the ward and attend MDT meetings.

During the fellowship period, I was able to participate in different research on “encapsulated peritoneal sclerosis” and (using bioimpedance assessing the fluid status) and others.

Moreover, I used to attend other nephrology clinics (general nephrology and transplantation) and follow up hemodialysis and home hemodialysis patients and attend clinicopathological meetings.

Sadly, upon coming back to Cairo, and due to several political and financial issues in Egypt, the peritoneal dialysis project was postponed. therefore, we started by initiating the low clearance clinic aiming to start recruiting patients until the time come but unfortunately they all either started hemodialysis or transplanted.

Simultaneously, we arranged several work shops for peritoneal dialysis training to maintain a generation who have the basics of peritoneal dialysis until we are able to initiate our program.

Meanwhile, I was able to support many of the PD patients who were in vacations or visits in Cairo.

Recently, the Egyptian society of Nephrology created PD steering committee (which I am a member of) and have recently communicated again with the ministry of health and we are currently working on a feasibility study and simultaneously arranging training workshops for nephrologists and surgeons hoping to initiate our program. Hopefully we succeed this time.

In addition to all what I have mentioned before, I had a great experience to meet new people make friends whom we are still in contact till now. It opened channels to communicate with other fellows during the fellowship time or after.