How To Get On Kidney Transplant List

How Could I Get A Transplant Sooner

There are different kinds of donated kidneys some with shorter wait times. It will be your job to choose which of these kidneys youre willing to take being open to more than 1 kind may make your wait shorter. Each donated kidney has a KDPI score. This is a score from 0-100. The score measures how long the kidney is likely to work. A lower KDPI is better.

What Are The Possible Problems After A Kidney Transplant

The donated kidney may start working right away or may take up to a few weeks to make urine. If the new kidney doesnt start working right away, youll need dialysis treatments to filter wastes and extra salt and fluid from your body until it starts working.

Other problems following kidney transplant are similar to other pelvic surgeries and may include

• bleeding
• hernia
• pain or numbness along the inner thigh that usually goes away without treatment

Transplant rejection is rare right after surgery and can take days or weeks to occur. Rejection is less common when the new kidney is from a living donor than when its from a deceased donor.

What Are The Risks For Kidney Transplant

As with any surgery, complications can occur. Some complications mayinclude:

• Bleeding

• Blockage of the blood vessels to the new kidney

• Leakage of urine or blockage of urine in the ureter

• Lack of function of the new kidney at first

The new kidney may be rejected. Rejection is a normal reaction of the bodyto a foreign object or tissue. When a new kidney is transplanted into arecipient’s body, the immune system reacts to what it thinks as a threatand attacks the new organ. For a transplanted organ to survive, medicinesmust be taken to trick the immune system into accepting the transplant andnot attacking it as a foreign object.

The medicines used to prevent or treat rejection have side effects. Theexact side effects will depend on the specific medicines that are taken.

Not everyone is a candidate for kidney transplantation. You may not beeligible if you have:

• Current or recurring infection that cannot be treated effectively

• Cancer that has spread from its original location to elsewhere in the body

• Severe heart or other health problems that make it unsafe to have surgery

• Serious conditions other than kidney disease that would not get better after transplantation

• Failing to follow the treatment plan

There may be other risks depending on your specific medical condition. Besure to discuss any concerns with your transplant team before theprocedure.

More Information About Organ Donation from Johns Hopkins Medicine

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Who Donates Kidneys For Transplantation

There are two sources for kidney transplants. One is from a living donor, and the other is from a non-living donor. Patients who have had kidneys donated from living donors usually enjoy higher success rates than those who receive organs from non-living donors, since there is less chance for rejection.

A living donor must be in good health and free from diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, kidney or heart disease. Living donors usually are between 18 and 60 years old. The living donor must undergo a series of tests to determine if they are truly compatible with the recipient. The decision to become a living donor is completely voluntary, and the donor can change his or her mind at any time. Living donors sometimes feel pressure from their families or guilty if they are reluctant to go through with the procedure. They also may feel angry if the recipients body rejects the donated organ. Living donors should discuss their feelings with a transplant professional before making a final decision.

Typically, the donor is admitted to the hospital the day before the kidney donation for all the necessary tests.

There are risks involved in any surgery. All patients have some pain after the operation, and it is possible for donors to develop infections or bleeding. Living donation also may have long-term risks, and its important for both the donor and recipient to know what these are.

Insurance typically covers 100 percent of the donors expenses.

What Is The Process For Getting A Kidney Transplant

If you want a kidney transplant, the process includes these steps:

• Tell your doctor or nurse you want to have a kidney transplant.
• Your doctor will refer you to a transplant center for tests to see if youre healthy enough to receive a transplant. Living donors need to be tested to make sure theyre healthy enough to donate a kidney.
• If you dont have a living donor, youll be placed on a waiting list to receive a kidney. Youll have monthly blood tests while you wait for a kidney.
• You must go to the hospital to have your transplant as soon as you learn a kidney is available. If you have a living donor, you can schedule the transplant in advance.

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Shamgar Connors 42 Is On Dialysis For 12 Hours A Day And Needs A Kidney Transplant To Survive Because He Refuses To Get Vaccinated He Was Removed From The Transplant List

Another person whose life literally depends on being vaccinated is saying he’d rather die than get the shot. Shamgar Connors, 42, is a middle school teacher from Virginia with stage five kidney disease.

Hes on dialysis for 12 hours a day and needs a kidney transplant to survive.

However, the University of Virginia Hospital system is telling him that without the vaccine, he cant get the transplant.

I’d rather die of kidney failure than get the vaccine, Shamgar told his doctor in a phone conversation.

He doubled down on the decision in an interview with Inside Edition.

I just wanted to make it very clear that yeah, ultimately, if that’s the hard choice that has to be made, Im never getting this vaccine. Never. I don’t care what they say, what anyone says. Im not doing it, Shamgar said.

Shamgar has two children, and his wife Lauren, a nurse, is also an anti-vaxxer.

I’m fighting this battle not just for myself, but for everyone, even the people who disagree with me. Because what they don’t understand is today it’s me, tomorrow it’s you, he continued.

Hospitals across America are insisting that transplant patients get fully vaccinated before surgery, and they mean business.

Desperate patients are being taken off transplant lists if they refuse. Vaccinated patients have a better chance of survival, so theyre given priority.

Your Ability To Manage Your Health Before Transplant

The transplant center will be looking for indications that you are able to manage your health and that you care about maintaining your health whenever possible. For example, if you are waiting for a kidney transplant but you are not following your healthcare providerâs instructions, you may not be considered a candidate. The post-transplant regime is rigorous and requires diligence your ability to follow your current regimen will be considered an indication of your willingness to take care of yourself after surgery. Non-compliance with important health maintenance instructions, such as drinking alcohol while in treatment for a liver problem, could exclude an individual from the liver transplant list.

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What Happens During A Kidney Transplant

A kidney transplant requires a stay in a hospital. Procedures may varydepending on your condition and your healthcare provider’s practices.

Generally, a kidney transplant follows this process:

You will remove your clothing and put on a hospital gown.

An intravenous line will be started in your arm or hand. More catheters may be put in your neck and wrist to monitor the status of your heart and blood pressure, and to take blood samples. Other sites for catheters include under the collarbone area and the groin blood vessels.

If there is too much hair at the surgical site, it may be shaved off.

A urinary catheter will be inserted into your bladder.

You will be positioned on the operating table, lying on your back.

Kidney transplant surgery will be done while you are asleep under general anesthesia. A tube will be inserted through your mouth into your lungs. The tube will be attached to a ventilator that will breathe for you during the procedure.

The anesthesiologist will closely watch your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and blood oxygen level during the surgery.

The skin over the surgical site will be cleansed with an antiseptic solution.

The healthcare provider will make a long incision into the lower abdomen on one side. The healthcare provider will visually inspect the donor kidney before implanting it.

The renal artery and vein of the donor kidney will be sewn to the external iliac artery and vein.

The donor ureter will be connected to your bladder.

What Happens When A Donor Kidney Becomes Available

When a kidney becomes available, your transplant coordinator will call you right away.

Before you arrive at the hospital, a member of UPMC’s kidney transplant team will evaluate the donor organ.

If it’s a match, we’ll prep you for surgery as soon as you arrive to the transplant unit. If the team finds that the organ isn’t right for you, we will send you home.

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Why Is This Important In Terms Of Equity

The use of eGFR as a threshold for starting to get waiting time is important, because it can impact how much waiting time a kidney patient accrues.

The amount of waiting time a kidney patient has accrued is critical – it plays a big role in the prioritization of kidney offers. If the Black race variable was used to calculate a patients eGFR, they may have to wait longer to reach the threshold to get waiting time. This disadvantages Black patients trying to access transplant.

What else should I know about the race variable in eGFR?

When the race variable is used in formulas to assess patients, eGFR calculators only offer two response options: Black or Not Black.

These two options do not allow for mixed race or multi-racial individuals, and do not account for the existing genetic diversity within the Black population.

Is my doctor using the Black race variable to calculate my eGFR?

The answer to this question will depend upon the transplant program where you are registered. Your doctor is the best resource to answer this question. The OPTN does not collect this information.

Okay, I understand that race is used in some eGFR calculations. Whats next?

Your input is important and your voice matters, because you are a patient or care for a patient that will be impacted by any change to policy.

Stages Of Returning To Normal Activity Including Work

Resuming normal activities gradually, only if you feel up to it. Engage in normal activities like catching the bus and going to the movies, and attending parties.

It is recommended you start slowly in the first instance. This also includes sexual activity. If in doubt, ask your doctor. Dont be shy they have heard it all before. It is also important that female recipients discuss contraception methods to prevent pregnancy in the early months following a heart transplant.

Returning to work is a big step and you should carefully consider and plan your return well in advance. Consult with your transplant team before you resume work. There may aspects of your job that you may not be able to resume immediately or even in the near future. Please refer to the section on life Skills for more information.

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What You Should Know About The National Kidney Transplant Waiting List

For many of the millions of people living with kidney failure, a kidney transplant is considered the most ideal and desirable treatment option. However, transplantation is a process that can take months or even years due to the number of people in need of a new kidney.

If you dont have a living kidney donor or if your donor arrangements arent finalized, registering on the national kidney transplant waiting list for a donor kidney is an important step. Once youve registeredwith help from your social worker and a referralyoull be on the list to receive a kidney from a donor when a match becomes available.

The Australian Paired Kidney Exchange Program

This is a program that has been initiated by the Organ and Tissue Authority to increase the options for kidney donation. Sometimes even if a person is ready and willing to donate, they may not be a suitable match for the recipient. The blood group or the tissue type may not be the right match. The Paired Kidney program helps people match up suitable living donors to recipients via a computer based program.

The AKX program uses a computer program to search the database of registered recipient/donor pairs where the donor is not a match for the recipient and identifies another similar pair to match them up so that two simultaneous transplants can occur by exchanging donors.

To find out more information about paired kidney programs, visit the Paired Kidney Program.

To be ready to be placed on a transplant waiting list at the hospital, you need to:

Commence dialysis

Complete the transplant work-up tests

Complete tissue typing tests

The transplant work-up tests are carried out to ensure you are in a fit and healthy condition to receive the kidney and your new kidney has the maximum chance for survival. After your work- up tests are complete, your transplant team will organise to send your blood to the Tissue Typing Department of the Australia Red Cross Blood service for your entry into the waiting list to be activated.

The Transplant Society of Australia and New Zealand has specific criteria that determine if you would be eligible to be on the waiting list.

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Who Is On My Transplant Team

A successful transplant involves working closely with your transplant team. Members of the team include:

• Youyou are an important part of your transplant team.
• Your family membersthis may include your spouse, parents, children or any other family member you would like to involve.
• Transplant surgeonthe doctor who places the kidney in your body.
• Nephrologista doctor who specializes in kidney health and may work closely with a nurse practitioner or a physicians assistant.
• Transplant coordinatora specially trained nurse who will be your point of contact, arrange your appointments, and teach you what to do before and after the transplant.
• Pharmacista person who tells you about all your medicines, fills your prescriptions, and helps you avoid unsafe medicine combinations and side effects.
• Social workera person trained to help you solve problems in your daily life and coordinate care needs after your transplant.
• Dietitianan expert in food and nutrition who teaches you about the foods you should eat and avoid, and how to plan healthy meals.

Your transplant team will be able to provide the support and encouragement you need throughout the transplant process.

How Long Will I Wait For A Kidney

After you have made the decision to have a kidney transplant there will be a period of waiting until a suitable donor kidney becomes available unfortunately we cannot predict when this will be. UK Transplant allocates kidneys by blood group and tissue type. This system is in place to ensure the best match between you and the donor kidney. The wait can be anything from a few weeks to many years but on average, patients who are blood group A or AB wait just over two years and patients who are blood group O or B wait just over three years. If your tissue type is rare or you are sensitised to certain tissue types you may wait longer than the average.

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Waiting List For Kidney Transplantation

If you are found to be a good candidate for kidney transplantation, the best option is to undergo transplant with a living donor, as this does not require time on the waiting list. Patients without a living donor wait on the list for a deceased donor kidney. Because there are many more people who need a kidney transplant than there are kidneys available, a waiting list is managed by the United Network for Organ Sharing . UNOS gives priority to patients based on waiting time and over a time period of years patients move to the top of the list, and receive a kidney.

When a deceased donor organ is available, you will receive a call from our coordinator or surgeon, asking you to come into the hospital for the transplant. Since this call can come at any time during the day or night, any day of the week, it is important for the transplant team to be able to reach you. You should provide our center with all of your phone numbers, as well as the phone numbers of a few emergency contacts, so that we can contact you when needed.

Have Your Kidney Transplant

During kidney transplant surgery, a surgeon places a healthy kidney into your body. Youll receive general anesthesia before the surgery. The surgery usually takes 3 or 4 hours. Unless your damaged kidneys cause infections or high blood pressure or are cancerous, they can stay in your body. Surgeons usually transplant a kidney into the lower abdomen near the groin.

If youre on a waiting list for a donor kidney, you must go to the hospital to have your transplant surgery as soon as you learn that a kidney is available.

If a family member or friend is donating the kidney, youll schedule the surgery in advance. Your surgical team will operate on you and your donor at the same time, usually in side-by-side rooms. One surgeon will remove the kidney from the donor, while another prepares you to receive the donated kidney.

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