By Celeste McLaughlin
Shaheen Motiwala, MD, and Saima Iqbal, MD, are two New Tampa/Wesley Chapel-area nephrologists and moms who treat patients with kidney problems with care and compassion. Their practice, Tampa Kidney Specialists, has an office in on W. Fletcher Ave. in North Tampa (near I-275) and another in the Seven Oaks Professional Center off S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel.
Both doctors are Board-certified in internal medicine with a sub-specialty of nephrology, which is the treatment of the function of the kidneys. They divide their time between treating patients in local hospitals and outpatient services for those who have kidney disease, also known as renal disease, or other issues related to the function of the kidneys.
Dr. Motiwala earned a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree from the Aga Khan University Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan, in 1999, which is the equivalent of a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree in the U.S.. She then completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Connecticut in Farmington in 2004 and a nephrology fellowship at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, NY, in June 2006.
At that time, her work visa required her to work in an underserved area, so she moved to The Villages near Leesburg, FL, and worked in private practice. After four years in the Leesburg area, she and her husband felt the area didn’t have a lot to offer their family, so they moved to Tampa, which they say is a more culturally diverse city that offers parks and other amenities. Dr. Motiwala began private practice in Tampa in 2010.
Dr. Iqbal received her MBBS degree from Dow Medical College at the University of Karachi in Pakistan in 2001. She completed a residency in internal medicine at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County in Chicago in 2008. She worked at that hospital until moving to Gainesville, FL, in 2011 for a nephrology fellowship at Shands Hospital, the teaching hospital affiliated with University of Florida Medical School. When that fellowship ended, she was introduced to Dr. Motiwala and the two began practicing together in 2014.
A Primer On Kidneys
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, human kidneys are fist-sized, bean-shaped organs (see graphic on next page), located just below the rib cage on each side of the spine. On a daily basis, the kidneys filter about 120 to 150 quarts of blood and produce urine.
“We handle any functional problems with the kidney,” says Dr. Motiwala. “A urologist is a surgeon, who removes kidney stones. A nephrologist, which is what we both are, handles the medicine side of the kidneys, such as preventing future kidney stones.”
Both doctors explain that their patients are referred to them from primary care physicians or when the patients already are in the hospital in need of kidney care. They serve patients at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC), Florida Hospital Tampa (on E. Fletcher Ave.), and Florida Hospital Carrollwood. Because of the growth at FHWC, they decided to open an office in Wesley Chapel about a year ago for outpatient treatment.
Dr. Iqbal says that with kidney problems, you’re not going to feel much. “It’s very rare to have symptoms, so only bloodwork will tell you if you have abnormal kidney function,” she says, adding that uncontrolled high blood pressure or high blood sugar (diabetes) may be a sign your kidneys are functioning abnormally, noting that when you see your primary care physician for an annual checkup and have blood work done, the tests your doctor provide will check your kidney function.
Dr. Motiwala says that patients call her when they have uncontrolled high blood pressure, electrolyte issues, protein in the urine, blood in the urine or recurring kidney stones.
Dr. Motiwala says that kidney problems are more common than you might think. “Kidneys do so many things, including balancing electrolytes, fluids and even vitamin metabolism,” she says. “When people have renal failure, other systems are affected. One example is your bones become weaker because your kidneys are not properly metabolizing vitamin D.”
She says sometimes patients don’t know they’re diabetic or have high blood pressure and have no idea they are having kidney problems. They may come into the emergency room with some vague symptom, such as a headache, and end up needing dialysis.
“The earlier we see people, the sooner we can get things under control and actually slow down the progression of kidney disease,” says Dr. Motiwala.
Kidney disease refers to abnormal function of the kidney, which can be caused by any number of issues, most commonly high blood pressure and diabetes.
“People don’t realize how common kidney disease is,” Dr. Iqbal concurs (the website eMedicineHealth.com says that 26 million Americans, or 15 percent of all adults, have some form of chronic kidney disease). “Ask questions of your primary care doctor, get blood work done, and get a timely referral to see us.”
Kay Lawrence is a patient of Tampa Kidney Specialists who sees Dr. Motiwala regularly after being diagnosed with stage four renal failure.
“Dr. Motiwala is very personable,” Kay says. “It’s not just about the medicine, but she’s in touch with the human side of her patients, too. She’ll say, ‘How are you? How is this affecting your children?’ That is the doctor I want to see.”
Kay appreciates how Dr. Motiwala advocates for her and works with her other doctors. “For example, steroids (steroidal anti-inflammatory medications) aren’t good for kidneys, so she’ll call my other doctors to discuss what medications I should be taking,” she says.
Kay also says that Dr. Motiwala shows that she truly cares about her patients. “Instead of saying ‘We can’t help you,’ Dr. Motiwala does research and reads books and explains what treatments might help me,” Kay says. She persists like I was her child or sister or mother.”
Dr. Motiwala says that, “With aggressive treatment, Kay’s kidney function has normalized.” She and Dr. Iqbal want people to understand what sets them apart.
“We are a very small, personal practice, where we give our patients good, personalized care,” explains Dr. Motiwala. “We’re not a big group, where things are all cookie-cutter. And, we really do care.”
Dr. Iqbal lives in Seven Oaks with her husband and two children, ages six and one, while Dr. Motiwala lives in Tampa Palms with her husband, Adeel, and their two kids, ages four and seven.
The North Tampa office of Tampa Kidney Specialists is located at 320 W. Fletcher Ave. The Wesley Chapel location is at 2106 Ashley Oak Circle, Suite 101, next to Point of Care Clinics, in the Seven Oaks Professional Park off S.R. 56. Dr. Motiwala and Dr. Iqbal are available Monday-Friday by appointment. Call 775-2352 to schedule your appointment or for more information.
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