Q
: 1
05/17/2012 |
Do you perform partial nephrectomies at your facility?
Yes, we do and we do it laparoscopically (robotically).
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Q
: 2
11/03/2011 |
If a dialysis patient had to have their kidney removed because of suspected cancer and a very small trace was found, but they do not require any treatment, how long do they have to wait before being added to the transplant list again?
Sometimes they can be added back to the list immediately. A final decision is based on the pathology.
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Q
: 3
09/15/2011 |
I would like to know what determines who gets a kidney transplant. I've heard there's a waiting list, but I've also heard that there is a certain screening on who gets the organ based even on mental health. Is that true?
Anyone with renal failure is a potential candidate. The screening process involves stratifying the risks and assessing how likely that person is to take care of their kidney and be compliant with medication. Psychiatric history does not preclude you from going on the list.
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Q
: 4
08/25/2011 |
Can a person receive a kidney transplant without getting a fistula put in the arm and having dialysis?
Yes. That is the preferred way. We call this pre-emptive transplantation. Timing is key. About 10 percent of transplants in the country are done before dialysis.
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Q
: 5
07/13/2011 |
Can a kidney transplant patient take multivitamins in addition to their regular immunosuppressant medicines?
Multivitamins should not be problematic.
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Q
: 6
03/08/2011 |
My friend is 48 and wants to donate a kidney to his father who is 77. His doctor said that the donor should be closer in age. Is that true?
That is probably the doctor's bias, but it does carry some relevance when talking about deceased donors. However, when it comes to living donation, the donor does not have to be closer in age, especially if it means getting his father off dialysis, or preventing dialysis.
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Q
: 7
02/19/2011 |
Are there higher risks for having polycystic kidneys removed after transplant than before because of the drug regimen?
The immunosuppression needed to prevent rejection can impact wound healing and wound infections, so the logic is to do the nephrectomy first. However, we have found that doing the nephrectomies and kidney transplant at the same time yields the best results since dialysis can be avoided, and this is done in one operation. You can read about this in our website (www.umm.edu/transplant).
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Q
: 8
02/11/2011 |
What clinical factors decrease the waiting period for a patient on the kidney transplant list (similar to the MELD score for liver transplant)?
Listing for kidney transplantation is very different than liver. The kidney transplant waiting list is heavily dependent on the waiting time, whereas this is not the case with livers. Unfortunately, there is nothing that you can do to expedite this.
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Q
: 9
11/09/2010 |
Is it true that I have to have dialysis before I can have a kidney transplant? My kidneys are at 20 percent. I am 54 years old, have been diabetic for 49 years and on a pump since 2005. My nephew is insisting I get the stent inserted before I feel too sick.
Absolutely not. It is best to be referred before you go on dialysis. Data shows that if you get transplanted before ever going on dialysis (at the last point of your kidney disease), you are likely to have a better outcome. Not to mention avoiding the surgeries necessary for dialysis. It also sounds like you are a type 1 diabetic and would need a kidney and pancreas simultaneously. Even if you have a living kidney donor it can be done with a cadaver pancreas simultaneously. You should list at a transplant center in your area and double list with us.
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Q
: 10
10/06/2010 |
How long is the screening process if I want to donate a kidney to my spouse?
The living donor workup can take anywhere from 6 weeks to several months depending on how complicated the donor is.
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Q
: 11
09/26/2010 |
Is their an age limit to receive a kidney transplant?
Not at UMMC. We have transplanted people in their 80's. If you are getting turned down for age, you can contact us for a second opinion. Call 410 328-5408 to set up an evaluation.
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Q
: 12
07/02/2010 |
How much pain/discomfort is experienced by the recipient of a kidney transplant following the surgery?
There is incisional pain, like any other surgery, but nothing that cannot be controlled with pain medication.
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Q
: 13
06/24/2010 |
After a kidney transplant, how long should it take for someone's creatinine to fall from 19 to 1.2?
That is variable. It can take several weeks if the kidney has not kicked in 100 percent.
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Q
: 14
06/01/2010 |
With kidney transplants, is the defective kidney removed?
The native kidneys usually stay in place, since the new kidney is placed in a totally different area and there is no need to remove the kidneys.
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