According to the Cleveland Clinic, there are as many as 600,000 Chronic Kidney Disease patients on Dialysis in the United States today. Of those 600,000 individuals on Dialysis, as of Wednesday, October 1st, 2014 only 123,643 people are waiting on the Kidney Transplant List. This would suggest that a minority of Chronic Kidney Disease patients who conduct Dialysis (or need a Transplant) go through the process necessary to get a Kidney Transplant. Why is this?
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Did you know that according to Dr. Dorry Segev (Johns Hopkins Hospital), a Kidney Transplant doubles a recipient’s life expectancy? He believes if more Dialysis patients knew this simple fact that they would be more inclined to sign up on the Kidney Transplant Waiting List for a lifesaving donor, reported Reuters News. Published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, Segev lead a study which found that there is a lack of knowledge about the benefits of Kidney Transplants as opposed to receiving Dialysis in those with Chronic Kidney Disease.
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Key findings include the fact that 1 out of 4 patients who start Dialysis do NOT consult with a Nephrologist (Kidney Specialized doctor) before beginning treatment. Also, many people who conduct Dialysis over time feel as though they are, "doing fine on Dialysis." Both of these factors could contribute to Dialysis patients refusing to go through the process to possibly get a Kidney Transplant. Dr. Segev said, however, "Nobody is doing fine on Dialysis to the point where a transplant wouldn’t be better for them.” Do you agree?
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While Dr. Segev's study concludes that more education is necessary for patients to realize the importance of Kidney Transplantation, there is also a larger issue - the wait time. As you are likely aware, patients who would otherwise be willing to sign up for the Kidney Transplant Waiting List are often frustrated and deterred by long wait times which are on average 5 to 7 years, but for many, much longer.
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Still, with the new fact that a Kidney Transplant can double a Dialysis patient's life expectancy, perhaps those who may be eligible may reconsider a transplant. There are new ways to cut your waiting times on the Kidney Transplant List which KidneyBuzz.com has outlined in articles such as, "Strategies That Can Help Chronic Kidney Disease Patients Receive Kidney Transplant Sooner," and "Ins-and -Outs of Increasing your Chances of Getting a Kidney Faster." Also, Facebook has become a rather effective place to connect with Living Kidney Donors, and with 40% of the 16,000 yearly Kidney Transplants conducted coming from living Kidney Donors, Facebook is becoming an increasingly necessary option for those looking for a Kidney Transplant.
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With this in mind, KidneyBuzz.com has decided to develop free "Find A Kidney Donor" Facebook pages for those in the community with End Stage Renal Failure, as one (1) part of a larger Social Media Kidney Transplant Campaign which it offers. If you are interested, sign-up at http://www.kidneybuzz.com/find-a-kidney-donor-campaign/. Also, as a Chronic Kidney Disease and/or Diabetic patient, you should be sure to visit KidneyBuzz.com every day, in order to get the most up-to-date, Breaking News & Information about how Chronic Kidney Disease and Diabetics can better manage their lives.
References:
Cohen, Ronnie. "Kidney Patients Know Little about Transplant Benefits."Http://news.yahoo.com. Yahoo! News.
"The Waiting List." Http://www.kidneylink.org. Kidney Link.
"At a Glance." Http://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.