What Is Stage 4 Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease happens if your kidneys have been damaged. Kidneys can become damaged from a physical injury or a disease like diabetes or high blood pressure. Once your kidneys are damaged, they are not able to filter blood or do their other jobs well enough to keep you healthy. Some of the important jobs kidneys do:
- Filter blood
- Help keep blood pressure under control
- Keep bones healthy
- Help make red blood cells
There are five stages of chronic kidney disease. The mildest are stages 1 and 2. In these early stages of kidney disease, the kidneys are damaged and not working at full strength. At stage 3, about half of kidney function has been lost. This can cause other problems, like high blood pressure or bone problems. Treatment of these problems is very important, and it can even help slow down the loss of kidney function. At stage 4, severe kidney damage has happened. At this stage, it is very important to slow the loss of kidney function by following your treatment plan, and managing other problems like high blood pressure or heart disease. Stage 5 is kidney failure. If kidney failure happens, you will need a kidney transplant or dialysis to live.
Emotional And Social Possible Long
- Sadness over loss of kidney
- Anger if the transplant patients body rejects the donated kidney
- Feelings of guilt or regret
- Your mood may depend on your relationship with the transplant patient and what happens to them post-donation, such as if their body rejects the kidney or the transplant works well
What Was The First Artificial Heart Called
Jarvik 7In 1982, Seattle dentist Barney Clark became the first human to receive a permanent artificial heart, a device known as the Jarvik 7. In an interview shortly after the implantation of the pump, Clark expresses his desire to help advance science. He survived for 112 days on the mechanical organ.
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Am I Eligible To Become A Kidney Donor
You need to undergo a comprehensive evaluation if you decide to donate one of your kidneys to a family member such as your spouse, children, siblings, and parents or to a friend or altruistically to a stranger. You are NOT eligible to become a kidney donor if the doctors assessment suggests that kidney donation is not safe for you.
Can Donating A Kidney Shorten Your Life
Can donating a kidney shorten your life? Living donation does not change life expectancy, and does not appear to increase the risk of kidney failure. In general, most people with a single normal kidney have few or no problems however, you should always talk to your transplant team about the risks involved in donation.
Does donating a kidney reduce life expectancy? No Life Expectancy Changes
Donating a kidney does not affect a persons life expectancy. On the contrary, studies show that people who donate a kidney outlive the average population. Twenty years after donating, 85 percent of kidney donors were still alive, while the expected survival rate was 66 percent.
How long can a person live with a donated kidney? A living donor kidney functions, on average, 12 to 20 years, and a deceased donor kidney from 8 to 12 years. Patients who get a kidney transplant before dialysis live an average of 10 to 15 years longer than if they stayed on dialysis.
Can a kidney grow back? Contrary to long-held beliefs, a new study shows that kidneys have the capacity to regenerate themselves. It has long been thought that kidney cells didnt reproduce much once the organ was fully formed. The new research shows that the kidneys are regenerating and repairing themselves throughout life.
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No Life Expectancy Changes
Donating a kidney does not affect a persons life expectancy. On the contrary, studies show that people who donate a kidney outlive the average population. Twenty years after donating, 85 percent of kidney donors were still alive, while the expected survival rate was 66 percent. This may be because only healthy people are approved to become donors, or perhaps donors take additional health precautions after donating a kidney.
Ask Your Doctor For A Survivorship Care Plan
Talk with your doctor about developing a survivorship care plan for you. This plan might include:
- A suggested schedule for follow-up exams and tests
- A schedule for other tests you might need to look for long-term health effects from your cancer or its treatment
- A list of possible late- or long-term side effects from your treatment, including what to watch for and when you should contact your doctor
- Suggestions for things you can do that might improve your health, including possibly lowering your chances of the cancer coming back
- Reminders to keep your appointments with your primary care provider , who will monitor your general health care
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What Causes A Solitary Kidney
- birth defects.
- Some people are born with only one kidney because the other kidney never developeda condition known as renal agenesis or kidney agenesis. A solitary kidney is sometimes diagnosed before birth by a routine prenatal ultrasound sometimes it is diagnosed later in life after an x-ray, an ultrasound, or a surgery for an unrelated clinical condition.
- Some people are born with one normal kidney and another abnormal, nonfunctioning kidney that may eventually shrink so it is no longer visible on x-ray or ultrasound before or sometime after birth. That condition is known as kidney dysplasia.
How Should Caregivers Talk To Children About A Family Members Advanced Cancer
Children deserve to be told the truth about a family members prognosis so they can be prepared if their loved one dies. Its important to answer all of their questions gently and honestly so they dont imagine things that are worse than reality. They need to be reassured that they will be taken care of no matter what happens.
Caregivers need to be prepared to answer tough questions. To do this, they should know what their own feelings and thoughts are about the situation. They need to be able to show children how to hope for the best while preparing for and accepting that their loved one may die.
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Benefits And Risks Of Becoming A Living Organ Donor
Chelsey donated a kidney to her college roommate, Ellen. Chelsey is now a 1+1=LIFE Mentorship mentor and member of our Young Professionals Group .
Living organ donations are categorized in the following ways:
Living organ donors are usually between the ages of 18 and 60 year old. However, acceptable ages may vary by transplant center and the health of the donor candidate.
The prospective donor must have several points of compatibility including a compatible blood type, tissue type, and other markers.
The donor candidate is carefully evaluated by lab tests, physical examination, and psychological evaluation to ensure that the candidate is healthy enough to donate and that he or she is making an informed decision. The decision about whether to accept the donor is then made by the health care team at the transplant center.
Please note: It is illegal to sell human organs for the purpose of transplantation. Federal law stipulates that no person may be paid and/or receive valuable consideration for donating an organ.
See our Living Donor Guide for more information.
What Is The Recovery Period And When Can The Donor Return To Normal Activities
The length of stay in the hospital will vary depending on the individual donor’s rate of recovery and the type of procedure performed although the usual stay is 4 to 6 days. Since the rate of recovery varies greatly among individuals, be sure to ask the transplant center for their estimate of your particular recovery time.
After leaving the hospital, the donor will typically feel tenderness, itching and some pain as the incision continues to heal. Generally, heavy lifting is not recommended for about six weeks following surgery. It is also recommended that donors avoid contact sports where the remaining kidney could be injured. It is important for the donor to speak with the transplant staff about the best ways to return as quickly as possible to being physically fit.
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Why Do Kidneys Fail
Kidneys can become damaged from a physical injury or a disease like diabetes, high blood pressure, or other disorders. High blood pressure and diabetes are the two most common causes of kidney failure. Kidney failure does not happen overnight. It is the end result of a gradual loss of kidney function.
Can Kidney Grow Back After Donation
You should not incur any expenses for your medical care in the course of being a kidney donor, either, including the testing before the transplant, the surgery itself and the aftercare. However, you may experience financial loss due to missing work after the transplant or medical care. Your kidney will not grow back.
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Being A Living Organ Donor Could Cost You Your Life Insurance
An unexpected consequence of donating an organ as a living donor is a change in your eligibility for insurance coverage. Even though the Affordable Care Act ensures that you can’t be denied health insurance because you have a preexisting condition, the National Kidney Foundation notes that some living donors report having a hard time finding life insurance or having to pay higher premium prices.
In those cases, the transplant center may reach out to the insurance company to inform them that as a living donor, youre not at increased risk of death because of the donation. You may also be able to get life insurance through the Living Organ Donor Network, which allows donors to buy life and disability insurance in case they do have complications after donating an organ.
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How Do Health Care Professionals Diagnose A Solitary Kidney
During pregnancy, a health care professional can diagnose kidney agenesis and kidney dysplasia while conducting a prenatal ultrasound. Ultrasound uses a device, called a transducer, that bounces safe, painless sound waves off the fetuss organs to create an image of their structure. Ultrasounds during pregnancy are part of routine prenatal testing.
If a fetus is diagnosed with kidney agenesis or kidney dysplasia, health care professionals may recommend additional ultrasounds before and after the birth to find out how the solitary kidney functions over time and to check for other health problems.
In an adult, health care professionals may diagnose a solitary kidney during an x-ray, ultrasound, or surgery for some other condition or injury.
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What About A Kidney Transplant
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Health, almost 200,000 people in the United States have a functioning transplanted kidney.
A kidney transplant is only done when you have no functioning kidneys. The risks of the procedure and side effects of the medications youll need for the rest of your life outweigh the small increase in function you get from a second kidney.
If your solitary kidney gets injured or sick and stops working, you might be eligible for a transplant.
No matter how many kidneys you started with, you only receive one kidney in a transplant. The transplanted kidney usually gets bigger and works harder over time. Eventually, your transplanted kidney will function almost as well as two kidneys.
Recovery After Kidney Donation
After kidney donation surgery, you wake up in the recovery area, likely surprised that three to four hours have passed and its all over. It doesnt take long to realize that your bodys been through a major event. Youre groggy and possibly have pain. You may be nauseous from the anesthesia. Nurses monitor your vital signs, as well as your pee output, thanks to a catheter.
Recovery after kidney donation Phase 1: Out of surgery.
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How Does Living Donation Affect The Donor
People can live normal lives with only one kidney. As long as the donor is evaluated thoroughly and cleared for donation, he or she can lead a normal life after the surgery. When the kidney is removed, the single normal kidney will increase in size to compensate for the loss of the donated kidney.
Physical exercise is healthy and good for you. However, it’s important for someone with only one kidney to be careful and protect it from injury. Some doctors think it is best to avoid contact sports like football, boxing, hockey, soccer, martial arts, or wrestling. Wearing protective gear such as padded vests under clothing can help protect the kidney from injury during sports. This can help lessen the risk, but it won’t take away the risk. Talk to your healthcare provider if you want to join in contact sports.
Donors are encouraged to have good long-term medical follow-up with their primary care doctors. A urine test, a blood pressure check and a blood test for kidney function should be done every year.
Your Kid Can Still Be A Kid
Luckily, the kidneys are located in the middle of the back, tucked up under the ribcage. If your childs kidney is in this normal spot, it is well-protectedand not easily injured.
Your child can still run, ride a bike, play on the playground and do other normal activities. No special diet is needed, either. Check with your doctor for specific advice, but in general, let your kid be a kid!
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Paul Had Some Pain At First And Felt A Bit Constipated He Recovered Quite Quickly He Went Into
I came home by train, train and car from the station and then I was at home, pottering around. I spent a fair amount of time lying down or in bed. Obviously it was a bit sore at times and I needed some reasonable strength painkillers, but it wasnt a big deal.I got a bit constipated, which I think is always, and I know from what people tell me, thats always something that is a bit of a nuisance and always gets people down a bit. And it was just quite interesting to have the experience myself. So I look on it as a kind of learning experience and it didnt last that long. But, for a few days, I think it was probably the symptom in a way that troubled me most. Even more than the pain.But I actually got better quite rapidly. I went out to lunch, a half hours drive away, the next weekend on the Saturday. I can remember I didnt have much appetite still at that stage, but I was fit enough to travel. And in fact, though I probably shouldnt have done, I actually went and did a clinical session about a week later, after the operation. And I think, probably in retrospect, I wasnt entirely well. I dont think I did anything dangerous. Im sure I was fine. But anyway, so shortly after that I started driving again. So I was driving within a fortnight and I have no doubt that I was quite safe to do so. It was quite comfortable.
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Wallee Felt A Bit Isolated At First Though The Environment Was Perfect For Recovery He Could
I went through a period of, it was kind of isolation because, even when I came back to this house, his friends were actually abroad on holidays. So we were in the house alone with somebody caring for us.And so it was just a totally new experience. The neighbourhood we lived in was very quiet, perfect. Beautiful, comfortable, low house with a big garden. So it was easy to sleep and relax and rest. Then the people whose house we were in returned from their holidays. And I got on with them very, very well, and I just continued to make progress, you know walking the dog, just going for walks and eating, sleeping, resting. And eventually the doctor gave me permission to travel. And I flew to Copenhagen for a week and then I went to Greece for two weeks. And I stayed in my friends house because he was still recovering. So I actually stayed in his house in Greece, on this Greek island, and we spoke on the phone. So it was an unusual circumstance, but it was so, still if I think about it, it was so powerful.
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How Common Is Rejection After Kidney Transplant
Less than 1 in 20 transplant patients have an acute rejection episode that leads to complete failure of their new kidney. Chronic rejection happens more often and occurs slowly over the years after your kidney transplant. Over time, your new kidney may stop working because your immune system will constantly fight it.
Living With One Kidney
It makes sense to ask, if were born with two kidneys, how can we live normally with one? Its another one of those wonders of how the human body adapts and compensates when it needs to. When you donate a kidney, cells in the remaining kidney enlarge to handle the filtration and work that two did before. Obviously, when you give away a healthy kidney, keeping your remaining kidney healthy becomes a priority. Long term, donating a kidney has minimal risks on your overall health. Kidney donors have a slight increased risk for developing high blood pressure and women who become pregnant after donating have a slight increased risk of developing preeclampsia.
Research has shown that donating a kidney doesnt change your life expectancy. You do have a slight increase in risk for developing kidney failureless than one percentand if you do, your donation gives you priority status, moving you to the top of the waiting list.
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