KIDNEY
ORGANS – KIDNEY
“ I sat there having second thoughts , and an ad came on for a charity ,” he recalled . “ It said , ‘ Donate today . Someone needs you .’” Later that day , while waiting to renew his driver ’ s license , an informational video played on a nearby monitor . Its message : “ Don ’ t wait . Donate today .” Booth was floored . “ Those were two signs in one day .”
The other set of risks relates to that of living with one kidney for the rest of the donor ’ s life . This includes a slightly elevated chance of high blood pressure and , for women of childbearing age , a higher risk of pregnancy complications . Notably , the donor ’ s remaining kidney typically increases in size to compensate , and kidney function returns to 70-80 %.
The kidney chain As a person who didn ’ t have a direct connection to someone in need of a kidney transplant , Booth helped support what ’ s called a kidney chain . Often , patients in need of transplants have willing donors , but the donor kidneys aren ’ t compatible with the intended recipients because of tissue and blood types .
“ We have a database of people who need transplants and have unmatched donors ,” said Michael Hanaway , M . D ., a surgeon with the UAB Comprehensive Transplant Institute ( CTI ). “ By plotting out different combinations of recipients and donors , we can perform a sequence of transplants that ensures that all recipients receive a kidney from a living donor .”
Booth ’ s donation allowed his recipient ’ s donor to give a kidney to an unrelated recipient , then that recipient ’ s donor donates to yet another recipient , and so forth . Dr . Hanaway said a kidney chain can include 3-12 donor / recipient pairs , noting that the UAB CTI has the longest continuous kidney chain in the United States .
Risks and rewards Dr . Hanaway outlined two sets of risks for living kidney donors ; one relates to the risk of surgery and surgical complications . “ Complications are not zero , but we think the operation is safe , the complication rate is low , and the recovery is very quick ,” he said . “ Most donors are discharged from the hospital after two or three days and recover at home for 4-6 weeks , but 80-90 % of patients recover within three weeks .”
Booth was one of those patients . “ I donated my kidney in July 2018 , went back to work a week later , and was mowing grass in the Alabama heat two weeks later ,” he recalled . Three weeks later , he was able to go out to dinner with his recipient , a 911 emergency control center supervisor , and her family .
Dr . Hanaway emphasized that these risks are why potential donors are thoroughly screened before they are accepted into the program . “ It ’ s important that donors are healthy for their age and that they don ’ t have high blood pressure , diabetes , or other chronic medical problems that would affect their kidney function over time ,” he said . “ Those who are younger have to be extremely healthy , because they have more years to live with only one kidney .”
The donation process When potential donors contact the UAB CTI , they are referred to an online screening form that asks for their medical history , and the completed form goes to transplant coordinators for review . If the person meets the criteria for donation , they then come to UAB and meet with a surgeon , nephrologist , and social worker . They also meet with a donor advocate – someone not affiliated with the transplant whose job it is to protect and promote the interests of the donor .
Next comes a battery of tests . “ I spent one whole day getting tested , including blood tests and a CT scan ,” Booth said . “ UAB makes it really easy .” Then , the transplant team reviews the results and decides if the person is a viable potential donor .
Booth said the surgery itself was straightforward . “ The surgery is laparoscopic , so I ended up with a few little puncture holes in my abdomen and a C-section-like scar below my waist ,” he said . “ There was zero cost , since my recipient ’ s insurance paid for the surgery and the UAB pharmacy gave me the medication I took home .”
Looking back , Booth has zero regrets . In fact , he wishes he could give another kidney . “ It was such a wonderful experience ,” he said . “ Ultimately , you ’ re giving someone their life back . My recipient had a nine-year-old daughter , and I hope someone would do the same for me , my wife , or one of my six sons if the need arose .”
14 UAB CTI Report