More Kidney Transplants Needed: Startling Findings When Comparing Dialysis Versus Transplant.

August 11, 2016 Cameron Fields

A KidneyBuzz.com viewer wrote, "I am considering getting a Kidney Transplant, but I hear that it is such a hassle. There are a number of tests that you have to conduct and I am concerned about the idea of taking immunosuppressant medications due to the risk of cancer and other side effects. Then you have that long wait time to deal with. Dialysis is going fine and I do not know if I even want a Kidney Transplant. Do you have any insights that you can share about Dialysis versus a Kidney Transplant? For instance, is a Kidney Transplant really better than Dialysis?"

order here.

Many patients debate the merits of living their life on Dialysis versus attempting to get a Kidney Transplant. It is important to note that there is not a one-size-fits-all option and both Dialysis and Kidney Transplantation have drawbacks. However, according to the world-class sportsman, businessman, and cricket legend, Rawle Brancker, the verdict is out. He said shortly after receiving his Kidney Transplant, "“What I found in comparing the periods prior to surgery and after – before surgery I used to feel extremely tired on afternoons around 3-4, I had to get home and I would sleep until about 8 o’clock at night. I would get up and then go back to sleep again. After surgery, there was no need for it. I just did not have that feeling. I got back to the gym and I keep feeling well."

Mr. Brancker is not alone. Dr. Emilio Poggio (Nephrologist and expert in Kidney Transplantation) suggested that the choice between Dialysis and Kidney Donation is not even close, "For people who meet the requirements for Kidney Transplantation, it’s the best option for treatment,” he said. What's more, Dr. Robert Heyka (Cleveland Clinic) also mentioned, "Transplantation is the way to go, and the sooner the better."

The cricket legend did suggest that patients should be very careful to pick a Kidney Transplant Surgeon with whom they feel most comfortable. Mr. Brancker chose to work with the world renowned, Dr. Velma Scantlebury (Associate Director of the Kidney Transplant Programme at Christiana Care Hospital) who performed over two-thousand transplants in her illustrious career. He noted, “I would say that was all part of the miracle that I experienced in the whole exercise – among everything else, meeting this lady [Dr. Scantlebury], and being exposed to the level of expertise she has, and the relative ease with which she conducted herself."

Let's be clear, Dialysis is a lifesaver and critically important to hundreds-of-thousands of patients. While some put off starting Dialysis, when they try their first treatments, many are pleasantly surprised that they have an increased appetite, improved weight management, and even experience higher energy levels. Yet, often the commitment of Dialysis, side effects of the process, and recovery time after treatments can limit a Chronic Kidney Disease patient's independence and quality of life. That is why Kidney Transplants are frequently recommended by Nephrologists and Surgeons as a first resort for those with Kidney Failure.

Still, the scarcity of kidneys for transplantation makes the alternatives — Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis — much more common. According to Dr. Poggio, 600,000 patients are on Dialysis in the United States alone and over 100,000 are on the waiting list for a Kidney Transplant. Although a whopping 3,000 new patients are added to the Kidney Transplant Waiting List each month only 16,000 transplants are done each year. Here is the real shocker: Of the 16,000 Kidney Transplants conducted in the United States every year, thirty percent (30%) to forty percent (40%) come from Altruistic (generous) Living Kidney Donors, suggested the Cleveland Clinic.

Hence, if you find that a Kidney Transplant may work best for you, then you should not simply wait on the Kidney Transplant List. Help reduce your wait time (average wait time for a kidney is five to seven years) by sharing your story and attempting to connect with potential Altruistic Living Kidney Donors. Kidneys from living donors not only have greater success than transplants from cadavers (deceased donors), the figures suggest that Altruistic Living Kidney Donation is increasing in the United States. Dr. Jeffrey Veale (UCLA Transplant Surgeon) said, "“We have seen an increase in the number of altruistic donors over the past few years.”

If only 0.5 percent of the nation’s adults became generous Living Kidney Donors, the Kidney Transplant Waiting List would be wiped out 15 times over. Now that is a figure to share with your family members and friends! Share this article far and wide so that others are aware of the significant need for more kind-hearted Living Kidney Donors. Also, if you need assistance in sharing your story to improve the chances of connecting to potential altruistic individuals, then click here so that the KidneyBuzz.com Team can help.

Given your circumstances, what treatment option would you prefer - Hemodialysis, Peritoneal Dialysis or a Kidney Transplant? Share your thoughts with the over 44,000 Friends who have liked the KidneyBuzz.com Facebook Fan Page (click here). Also, follow the over 115,000 monthly viewers and visit KidneyBuzz.com every day for the latest breaking news and information which teaches those with Chronic Kidney Disease, Dialysis, Kidney Transplant, Diabetes, and High Blood Pressure how to better manage and improve their lives.

See this social icon list in the original post

Most Popular Stories:

See this content in the original post