CHRISTOPHER SIA
Consultant Nephrologist
Dr. Christopher Sia (MBBS, BmedSci, FRACP) is a consultant Nephrologist. Chris obtained a National Medicine Scholarship to the University of Melbourne. He completed his Bachelor of Medical Science and Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery with Honours. He obtained the highest score for the FRACP written examination and then completed his advanced training in Nephrology.
Chris has a public hospital appointment at the Alfred hospital.
He is currently the acting director of Renal Medicine at the Alfred Hospital
He is also the lead nephrologist for home dialysis (peritoneal dialysis and home haemodialysis) at The Alfred Hospital.
He also works in the areas of transplantation and general nephrology.
Chris also has appointments at Cabrini and Knox Private Hospital.
Chris’ interests include hypertension, chronic kidney disease, dialysis and transplantation. His public hospital appointment allows him to stay up to date with the most recent developments in nephrology and gives him the ability to care for all of his patients through the journey of chronic kidney disease, dialysis and transplantation.
Chris is also a co-founder and chief medical officer for Telecare - One of Australia's most innovative digital health companies.
CONSULTING LOCATIONS AND HOURS
Wattletree Medical Specialists
198 Wattletree Road, Malvern, 3144
Monday 1PM-5PM
T: 9576 2844
F: 03 8640 0630 (Area Code Required)
Telecare
173 Whitehorse Road, Blackburn, 3130
www.telecare.com.au
admin@telecareonline.com.au
Thursday 9AM-1PM
T: 03 9052 4872
F: 03 8677 9399 (Area Code Required)
Parkside Specialists
5/20 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004
T: 03 9088 6525
F: 03 9088 6526
reception@parksidespecialists.com.au
Diabetes and Specialist Centre
- Dr Sia is no longer consulting at the DSC, but is now consulting at Parkside Specialists
To make an appointment please obtain a referral from your GP and call the consulting location where you would like to see Dr. Sia.
If you are unsure where to send correspondence or do not have a preference for the location, but want the soonest available appointment, please email receptionchrissia@gmail.com
Correspondence regarding Knox Hospital patients should be sent to Telecare
POTASSIUM
In people with advanced kidney disease, potassium can build up in the body and may cause tiredness and heart problems.
Be careful not to limit the amount the amount of potassium in your diet without speaking to your doctor first, as many potassium rich foods are healthy foods!
However, some patients with high potassium levels may need to limit foods that are high in potassium such as potato chips, nuts, bran and granola, chocolate, peanut butter, yoghurt. Fruits that are high in potassium include avocado, banana, dates, figs, kiwi, mango, nectarine, orange, prunes, raisins. Vegetables high in potassium include baked beans, spinach, pumpkin and green vegetables (not kale).
If a low potassium diet has been recommended, try to eat foods such as apples, pears, grapes, berries, cauliflower, onions, lettuce, beef, chicken, bread.
Please speak to a doctor before making any adjustments to your diet as this information in general in nature.
SALT
Eating a high salt diet can increase your blood pressure and cause fluid overload. Patient with high blood pressure or fluid overload should eat no more than 2000mg of sodium a day. This is less than 1 teaspoon of table salt a day! The average Australian consumes more than twice the required amount of salt every day!
Did you know, 75% of the salt we eat comes from processed foods?
If you have difficult to control blood pressure:
Try to avoid eating foods with a high salt content such as
- Preserved or processed meats
- Canned foods
Try to eat lower salt containing foods such as
- Fresh meat and vegetables
- Ricotta cheese
- Chocolate
- Unsalted nuts
Please speak to a doctor before making any adjustments to your diet as this information in general in nature.
CAN I IMPROVE MY KIDNEY HEALTH WITH BETTER EATING?
Yes!
The DASH diet has been shown to reduce progression of kidney disease and the Mediterrenean diet has been shown to reduce mortality and diabetes in the general population. Be careful however, as these diets are high in potassium and they may not be appropriate if your potassium levels are high. Check with your doctor about monitoring your potassium and whether these diets are appropriate for you.
PHOSPHATE
People with advanced kidney disease may need to limit their dietary phosphate intake. High levels of phosphate can lead to weak bones and calcifications of blood vessels, leading to heart attacks, strokes and poor blood supply to the legs. Phosphate is used as a preservative in a lot of foods such as fizzy drinks and packaged foods. The phosphate pyramid is a handy way of understanding which foods should be limited (up the top of the pyramid) and which should be prioritised (down the bottom). Many patients will require phosphate binding tablets to reduce phosphate absorption.
It is important that you speak to your doctor or dietician before making adjustments to your diet.
MY KIDNEYS ARE FAILING, WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?
Unfortunately in some people, their kidneys progressively fail. There are 4 main options:
1. Supportive Care
2. Peritoneal Dialysis
3. Haemodialysis
4. Transplantation
Supportive Care
- Older patients and those with multiple medical problems often decide they do not want dialysis. Supportive care involves managing the symptoms of kidney failure with medications. It is often the best choice for many older patients.
Peritoneal Dialysis (PD)
- Fluid is instilled into the abdomen (belly) through a catheter (tube). Excess waste and water leech into the fluid and then the fluid is drained. The best thing about PD is that it can be done at home while you sleep, so it does not interrupt your lifestyle. PD is good for independent people who want to do their own dialysis.
Haemodialysis (HD)
- HD involves running blood from the body through a machine, which then cleans it and returns it back to the body. This is done 3 times a week for 4-5 hours at a time. It is usually done in a dialysis centre by trained dialysis nurses. HD is good for people who prefer their dialysis to be done by professionals.
Transplant
- A small group of patients are eligible for transplantation. Transplantation is the best treatment for kidney failure.
