Dialysis in Miami: I’ve Seen Dialysis All Over the World — This Is Why KidneySPA Is Different
- Andres Falco
- 4 hours ago
- 5 min read
My name is Andrés Falco.
I live with Chronic Kidney Disease, and I spent nine years on dialysis.
During that time, I didn’t just undergo a medical treatment — I lived every stage that comes with it.
I experienced rejection, anger, fear, exhaustion, and loss of control.
And later, through time, learning, and support, I also experienced acceptance — not passive acceptance, but active acceptance, where you regain control and learn how to live fully alongside treatment.
If you are reading this because you are about to start dialysis — or because someone close to you is — there is something important you should know:
Dialysis is challenging, but how you experience it matters more than most people are told.
For patients living in Miami who are searching for the best dialysis center in the city, this decision goes far beyond proximity or medical equipment.
Choosing where you do dialysis directly affects your safety, your stress levels, your
recovery, and your quality of life. Two dialysis centers may offer the same treatment on paper, yet provide completely different experiences depending on how they are organized, how teams are supported, and how patients are treated as people — not numbers.
If you or a loved one are starting dialysis in Miami, understanding these differences early can change the entire journey.
Along this journey, I traveled internationally as a patient, athlete, and educator.
I was invited by private clinics, public hospitals, foundations, and healthcare organizations to work with renal care teams and speak with patients around the world.
Because of this path, I’ve been inside hundreds of dialysis centers across Europe, South America, and the United States.
This perspective is especially important for international patients or those traveling while on dialysis, where uncertainty, logistics, and unfamiliar healthcare systems can add extra stress to an already demanding treatment.
After seeing dialysis from every possible angle — medical, emotional, and human — very few places truly feel different.
KidneySPA is one of them.
WHAT YOU DON’T SEE FROM THE OUTSIDE OF DIALYSIS
In many dialysis centers, the nursing teams are exhausted.
I’ve heard it countless times:
• Complaints about double dialysis shifts
• Ten-hour workdays under constant pressure
• Stress to meet numbers, schedules, and targets
• Emotional overload from caring for highly dependent patients
You can feel it in the environment.
You can see it in their bodies.
Even though mobile phones are often prohibited, I’ve seen how they quietly appear during shifts — not as a lack of professionalism, but as a symptom of burnout and mental fatigue.
This is not about blaming nurses or technicians. On the contrary: most of them are doing the best they can inside systems that don’t protect them enough.
And when the system is tense, the patient feels it.
THE WAITING, THE NOISE, THE STRESS
In many dialysis centers across Europe and South America, the routine is very similar.
Patients enter together once the previous shift finishes.
They sit and wait — sometimes 30 to 40 additional minutes — watching how others are connected first.
You hear the background complaints:
“Why am I always the last one?”
“This is taking forever.”
The room fills with noise, impatience, and tension.
Dialysis stress begins before dialysis even starts.
I’ve also seen daily emergencies become normalized:
• Hypotensive patients
• Nurses running
• Technicians reacting under pressure
For patients, this becomes routine. But it shouldn’t be.
WHAT I FELT THE FIRST TIME I ENTERED KIDNEYSPA
The difference is immediate.
From the moment you walk into any of KidneySPA’s four clinics in Miami, the atmosphere changes. There is a soft, relaxing melody in the background.
The space feels organized.
Calm.
Everyone knows their role.
There is no chaos. No rushing.
You sit down, you are connected to your treatment, and almost immediately you are offered something warm to drink.
A small gesture — but a powerful message: you are being cared for.
Patients shared something that deeply caught my attention:
Each person enters from the waiting room at their scheduled time and is connected directly.
No group waiting.
No watching others get connected first.
No unnecessary stress.
That alone changes the entire experience.
A DIFFERENT ENERGY IN THE DIALYSIS ROOM
During the time I spent there, I noticed something else.
Very few hypotensive episodes.
No nurses running from one emergency to another.
No raised voices.
No tension in the air.
Instead, I saw nurses and technicians who were:
• Calm
• Focused
• Serene
• Active, without being overwhelmed
That tells you everything about how a center is run.
When the team is supported, the patient is safer.
When the environment is calm, emergencies appear to decrease.
This is not coincidence — it is intentional design.
LEADERSHIP THAT YOU CAN FEEL
KidneySPA’s nephrologist and founder, Dr. Mauricio Cuellar, stands out for two reasons above all others: humility and connection.
There is no ego.
No airs of superiority.
No distance.
He is present, approachable, and deeply connected to patients, families, and the nursing and technical teams that make dialysis possible every day.
You genuinely feel that he means it when he says quality of life matters.
That kind of leadership is rare.
And it shapes everything around it.
WHEN DIALYSIS IS DESIGNED AROUND CARE — IN REAL TERMS
This is not marketing language.
We are talking about:
• Massage and heated dialysis chairs
• Individual touch-screen TVs where patients can watch TV, use apps, access social media, or play games
• Different types of dialysis rooms:
– Spacious rooms with natural light
– More intimate rooms with dim lighting
All patients have access to these options and can choose what suits them best.
This level of care is not reserved for a few.
Services and amenities may vary based on location and availability.
WOULD I DIALYZE HERE?
Without hesitation.
Looking at it through the eyes of someone who has lived dialysis for years, KidneySPA is a place where a patient can honestly say:
“I feel safe here.”
“I feel calm here.”
“I feel good here, and this is the place I deserve.”
And that changes everything.
FINAL NOTE
Many patients don’t realize that in the United States they have the right to choose their dialysis center.
Based on my experience, KidneySPA is a place I would personally trust.
Written by Andrés Falco
The content of this article is provided for informational purposes only and reflects personal experience.
It is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Patients should always consult with their physician or healthcare team regarding medical decisions, treatment options, and individual care needs.
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