CHRISTOPHER L WESTERVELT MD
NPI 1740290048
Internal Medicine - Nephrology in Hattiesburg, MS

This service involves a physician administering medication to lower your consciousness during a procedure. It's done for your comfort and safety. The drug's effects last about 15 minutes, so additional doses may be given as needed.

Follow-up hospital inpatient care per day typically involves a 35-minute check-up by your healthcare provider. This service includes monitoring your health progress, adjusting your treatment plan if needed, and answering any questions you may have about your condition or care.

Initial hospital inpatient care per day, typically 70 minutes, refers to the daily medical service provided to patients admitted to the hospital. This includes a comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis, treatment plan, and monitoring of your health condition. It ensures your well-being during your hospital stay.

Dialysis is a treatment that performs the function of healthy kidneys if they're not working properly. It removes waste and excess fluid from your blood. 2-3 physician visits per month are recommended for monitoring your health and adjusting your treatment as needed. This service is available for those aged 20 years and older.

A tunneled central venous tube removal is a procedure to take out a long, thin tube that was previously placed in a large vein in your body. This tube helps deliver medication or nutrition. The removal is usually quick and done under local anesthesia.

This is a procedure where a radiologist reviews the permanent blockage of your hemodialysis circuit. Hemodialysis is a treatment that uses a machine to clean your blood when your kidneys can't. A blockage can prevent this process, which may need review or intervention.

A tunneled central venous tube replacement is a procedure where an existing tube, used to deliver medication or nutrition directly to a large vein, is replaced. This is done under local anesthesia and involves inserting a new tube through a small incision.

This procedure involves placing a needle or tube into your hemodialysis circuit, a system used to clean your blood when kidneys are not working properly. A stent, a small tube, is then inserted into the dialysis segment to keep it open. A radiologist reviews the process to ensure accuracy.

Fluoroscopic guidance for central vein access device insertion or removal is a procedure where a special X-ray, called a fluoroscope, is used to help accurately place or remove a device in a central vein. This device aids in delivering medications or collecting blood samples.

Balloon dilation of a vein is a procedure where a small balloon is inserted into a narrowed vein. Once in place, the balloon is inflated to widen the vein and improve blood flow. The procedure is overseen by a radiologist, who uses imaging techniques to ensure accurate placement of the balloon. This is done on the initial vein requiring treatment.