By Marilyn Miller
The kidney is a small thing compared to most organs in the human body. And yet, it does so much, according to Minden Medical Center nephrologist, Dr. Pallavi Shirsat, MD, FASN.
“Kidneys are an amazing, complicated, multi-tasking organ,” said Dr. Shirsat, “They don’t just eliminate all the toxins from our body and get rid of waste water, they help our body make blood, they help regulate blood pressure; kidneys help regulate different electrolytes (like salt balance…potassium balance), they keep our bones healthy, and they also help make blood cells.”
“They do a lot of things that we can’t see. That’s what I love about it,” she said.
In fact, it was while she was doing her Internal Medicine and Pediatrics residency training at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport from 2010 to 2014 that she noticed the nephrology residents and their cases and they “just fascinated me.” This influenced her decision to complete Nephrology Fellowship training at LSU from 2014 to 2016.
When Dr. Shirsat initially committed to Minden Medical Center in 2016, she had three years in mind. That was nine years ago.
“I have grown an attachment to the area, an attachment to my patients and I don’t even have a thought of moving.”
Having a nephrology specialist in Minden is doubly important because most of Dr. Shirsat’s patients are elderly, and driving can sometimes be a challenge. So she is happy to “provide the same quality of service they can get in Shreveport-Bossier.”
What about the connection between the kidneys and blood pressure?
Kidneys don’t just clean toxins out of our blood and water…they also help regulate our blood pressure. Healthy kidneys can sense if there is too much salt in our bodies, which is common today because of fast food and processed foods. Most of the time the kidneys can throw out that extra salt in the urine and maintain that blood pressure in a healthy range.
“But after a certain time, the kidneys can no longer keep up with what we are putting in our bodies and over time, blood pressure problems start and blood pressure starts getting worse,” Dr. Shirsat warned. “So as kidneys regulate blood pressure, as a nephrologist, I specialize in blood pressure problems as well.”
The type of blood pressure problems that are no longer controlled by the primary care physician is referred to Dr. Shirsat. When one or two, even three, medicines don’t control blood pressure, she steps in to help. You can help yourself, however, by looking for signs of renal hypertension like headache, confusion, blurry or double vision, bloody urine, nosebleeds, chest pain, etc.
“I would like to emphasize that kidney problems don’t often make you feel bad until you lose over 90 percent of kidney function. It’s a silent disease that keeps getting worse. So, no signs, no symptoms, until it’s time for dialysis. That’s why I recommend a health screening…keeping up with your blood pressure checks, urine tests are very important, blood tests. If it is diagnosed early enough, once we control diabetes, once we control blood pressure, optimize medications…dialysis can be avoided.”
Dr. Shirsat said that every year she gets three to four patients that come into the MMC ER in full blown kidney failure, and have no primary care physician at all. “They tell me they haven’t seen a doctor for the last 20-plus years.”
“At that point, all I can do is offer dialysis for survival. I would rather have seen them 10 years before.” There are those that are at a higher risk factors to be aware of: African American or Hispanic heritage, patients older than 60, lupus, history of diabetes, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, people who take over-the-counter medicines pain relievers a lot. These patients should seek help from their primary care physician. Ask for blood tests and urine tests.
There are also public health screenings, like “Senior Health and Fitness Day” that was sponsored by Minden Medical Center on May 28, 2025 at the Minden Recreation Center. Look for similar upcoming events. Dr. Shirsat does urge all that do not have a primary care physician to be proactive and get established with one of the many options here in Minden. She also states that “all the screens that are needed can be done on your annual wellness check”. Most insurances cover the annual wellness visit and screens.
Dr. Shirsat has “grown with the practice.” She has been the medical director for the inpatient dialysis unit at MMC since 2016. Also, in 2022, she was also named medical director of DCI (Dialysis Center, Inc.) of Minden, an outpatient hemodialysis and home dialysis unit with 17 chairs, located on Pearl Street in Minden.
Unlike her patients, Dr. Shirsat does have a commute to her office every morning. She and her husband, Dr. Kunal Sonavane, live in Bossier City with their two children. She loves painting (acrylics), traveling, listening to music, and especially, spending time with her kids and husband.
Dr. Pallavi Shirsat, Nephrology & Hypertension specialist, enjoys the challenge of working on complex medical cases. Her goal is to make everyday life easier for her patients, and her passion is education.
“This year we are planning the first Minden Kidney Walk on Saturday, May 3rd. We are encouraging all to participate. We will have more information on my facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MindenNephrology/), Minden Medical Center Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MindenMedicalCenter/) or Minden Medical Center webpage (https://www.mindenmedicalcenter.com).
“Education is my passion, so that my patients feel empowered to help themselves. They need to learn how to take care of themselves.” For more information, go to www.kidney.org.
