Nephrology Medical
Expert
Witness
Akeras Medical Ltd specialises in providing comprehensive medico-legal advice and expert nephrology reports. Consultations are provided for any legal queries and cases connected to a wide range of kidney related health issues and problems.
Professor Adnan Sharif is an internationally renowned specialist in his field with expertise that spans across acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, kidney conditions, dialysis, and transplantation.
What is Nephrology?
Nephrology is the branch of medicine that focuses on the study, diagnosis, treatment, and management of kidney-related conditions and diseases. It involves the care of people with kidney problems, such as acute kidney injury (AKI), chronic kidney disease (CKD), kidney infections, kidney stones, and conditions like hypertension or diabetes that can affect kidney function. Nephrologists are medical doctors who specialise in diagnosing and treating these issues, often managing conditions such as kidney failure, dialysis, and kidney transplantation. The field also involves understanding kidney function, electrolytes, and fluid balance in the body.
Bite Size Nephrology - Why Your Kidneys Matter
Acute Kidney Injury
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is when your kidneys suddenly stop working properly. It can happen quickly, usually over a few hours or days. The kidneys are responsible for filtering waste and extra fluids from your blood, but when they’re injured, they can't do this job as well. This can lead to a build-up of waste, fluid, and electrolytes in the body, which can make you feel unwell. AKI can be caused by things like severe dehydration, infections, certain medications, or other health conditions that affect the kidneys. It’s often treatable if caught early, but it can be serious if left untreated.
AKI is common and can affect up to 10% of all hospital admissions and up to 50% of all critical care unit admissions.
Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition where your kidneys slowly lose their ability to filter waste and extra fluids from your blood over time. Unlike acute kidney injury, which happens suddenly, CKD develops gradually, often over many years. CKD is often caused by long-term conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, inflammatory kidney disease, medications, infections etc. While it can't be completely cured, it can be managed with treatment to slow its progression and prevent complications. If CKD gets very severe, it might lead to kidney failure, which could require dialysis or a kidney transplant.
CKD is common and affects about 10% of the general population.
Dialysis
Dialysis is a treatment that helps do the job of the kidneys when they aren't working well. Normally, the kidneys filter waste and extra fluids from your blood, but when the kidneys can't do this, dialysis steps in to replace this work as kidney failure is life threatening. There are two main types of dialysis that can be done - haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Both are forms of kidney replacement therapy but can be associated with dialysis related complications.
About 30,000 people are living with kidney failure in the UK just now who require dialysis treatment.
Kidney Transplantation
Kidney transplantation is a medical procedure where a person with kidney failure receives a healthy kidney from someone else. The new kidney takes over the job the old kidneys can no longer do. A kidney transplant can improve a person’s quality of life and eliminate the need for dialysis, but it requires lifelong medication to prevent the body from rejecting the new kidney. It’s not a cure for kidney disease, as the new kidney can eventually fail over time, but is the best treatment for kidney failure.
About 40,000 people are living with kidney failure in the UK just now who have a kidney transplant.
Professor Adnan Sharif FRCP (Edin) MD MBChB
Biography
My name is Professor Adnan Sharif. I trained in medicine at the University of Edinburgh Medical School (MBChB) and qualified in 2002. I underwent general medical and nephrology training in Cardiff and Birmingham before being appointed as a Consultant Nephrologist and Transplant Physician at University Hospitals Birmingham in 2011. My clinical work encompasses all aspects of general and specialist nephrology including the diagnosis, prevention and management of acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, inflammatory renal diseases and end-stage kidney failure (dialysis and/or kidney transplantation).
I was appointed Honorary Professor at the University of Birmingham in 2024. I have a strong research interest and I have published >190 peer reviewed publications and several book chapters. I am an invited speaker for national and international congresses.
I have been a Member of the Royal College of Physicians (Edinburgh) since 2005 and attained Fellowship status in 2019. I am also a registered member of the UK Kidney Association, British Transplantation Society, European Renal Association, American Society of Transplantation and the European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT). I am an expert speaker on the annual Advanced Nephrology course organised by the UK Kidney Association, UCL Renal Transplantation Course, Guy’s Hospital Kidney Transplantation Course, Transplant Links Community and ESOT Transplant Live.
In addition to my clinical and research interests I enjoy many voluntary roles and positions. I serve on the Board of Trustees for Give A Kidney and the Global Kidney Foundation. I served as a Trustee for Kidney Research UK between 2018-2024. I have served the British Transplantation Society as Councillor for Transplant Nephrology (2020-2023) and currently serve as Councillor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. I have been an Executive Board Member for the UK Organ Donation and Transplantation Research Network and took up the Co-Director role in 2024. I am part of the European Renal Association DESCaRTES working group. I am Chair of the Organ Trade and Trafficking working group for ELPAT (part of the European Society for Organ Transplantation). Finally, I am the Secretary for the international non-Government Organisation DAFOH (Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting). The group was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016, 2017 & 2024 and received the Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice in 2019.
Medico-Legal Practice
Providing expert nephrology reports since 2018
- All aspects of clinical negligence and personal injury cases dealing with nephrology & kidney transplantation
- Reports for breach of duty, causation, condition & prognosis, life expectancy, desktop screening reports
- Medical examinations and interviews for assessment of condition & prognosis (online | face-to-face | home based visit)
- Experience of conferences with Counsel
- 85% claimant : 15% defendant ratio
- Experience with Joint Expert reports
- Provided reports internationally – Ireland
- Registered with Expert Witness and the National Expert Witness Agency
Our Key Services
A specialised service is offered to support your kidney related medico-legal cases. Please make contact to discuss your case if you need an expert nephrology opinion or you think some nephrology input would be beneficial.
Prompt
Quick and responsive correspondence to navigate the complexities of kidney health and relevant legal matters for medico-legal cases.
Professional
Specialist advice and consultations from a leading national and international expert. Recognised by his peers as an expert in his field and gives invited lectures nationally and internationally.
Partnership
Ongoing engagement and discussion to achieve the best from your medico-legal cases involving kidney health.
Get in touch
E-mail: consult@adnansharif.co.uk
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