| Author | Subject: transplant safety, POST-op |
| Tony | Posted At 21:46:04 06/23/2002 Hi all, Just found this forum, and I'm very glad I did. The posts here have been excellent and informative. But, I've got (maybe) a new question for you: First, the background: I'm 33, and up until recently have been very physically active, in martial arts particularly. I'm an ESRD patient due to PKD. I had to have my right kidney removed about a month ago and will shortly have the left one removed as well... creatinine is 11.9 (yes, 11.9) and BUN is 125, clearance maybe 5%. Started dialysis yesterday. Fortunately (and amazingly) two of my closest friends are both willing to be donors and are decent matches, so I will be getting a transplant within about 2 months. Now the question: just how physically well-protected is the transplanted kidney post-op? I've been told that even tho my original kidneys will be gone, the transplant surgery will still place the new kidney in a scooped-out (?!?!?) "area near the groin", rather than being placed in the "original" location. And where *exactly* is this "area near the groin"??? I've resigned myself to no longer participating in contact sparring or grappling post-op for the safety of the new kidney. But it still seems to me that with nothing more than a layer of groin skin over it, a kidney in this "new" location is in danger of being hurt, say just by bumping into the corner of a table or having a young niece hop into your lap. For example, I have heard of a transplanted patient whose transplant kidney was ruined during a hip-replacement operation where the person had to be positioned on their side for some hours -- the clamp used to hold the hips in place sideways cut off the blood flow to the new kidney. Can anyone offer any reassurances? Alternatively, is there any precedent for a patient to insist that a transplant kidney be put in the "original" location? Thanks, - Tony |
| Beth Witten | Re: transplant safety, POST-op (Currently 0 replies) Posted At 00:18:28 06/26/2002 The transplanted kidney is placed in the lower abdomen between the hip bone and bladder slightly above the groin. I found a picture of where the kidney is placed on the Mayo Clinic's web site at: www.mayo.edu/kidney-rst/tptrans.html. Ask the transplant coordinator at the hospital where you will receive your transplant for educational materials that explain the donor and recipient evaluation, the surgery, medications, the post-op medical care, and activities you can participate in and those they would recommend you avoid. Most people recommend that transplant recipients not engage in contact sports (football, wrestling, etc.). If you want to play baseball or other sport where you could get hit in the area where your new kidney is located, you might want to wear padding that you can buy at a sporting goods store. You probably should not lift anything over 10 pounds for the first 3 months. If you have any questions about whether an activity you enjoy is safe, ask your doctor. So far as hip replacement surgery harming the transplanted kidney, I've known people with kidney transplants who had successful hip replacement surgery, but ask the transplant coordinator or surgeon about what medical procedures to avoid to protect your new kidney. I'd specifically discuss what happened to the person you know. The transplant coordinator and other members of the team are there to respond to questions and concerns you may have while you're considering, getting ready for, having surgery, and after transplant. |
| cindie | Re: transplant safety, POST-op (Currently 0 replies) Posted At 00:58:31 07/10/2003 i can asure you tha your kidney will be safe.thay transplanted my doughter when she was 12.thay put the kidney to the left or the right of the lower abdomen,so that thay can conect the urrethia.she ran played ,smile for the first time in her life.she has f.s.g.s though.such a joy she is .but now we or on the other side of the hill again.a transplanted kidney only last about 10 years max in f s g s patints my how time flys |
| cindie | Re: transplant safety, POST-op (Currently 0 replies) Posted At 01:00:34 07/10/2003 i can asure you tha your kidney will be safe.thay transplanted my doughter when she was 12.thay put the kidney to the left or the right of the lower abdomen,so that thay can conect the urrethia.she ran played ,smile for the first time in her life.she has f.s.g.s though.such a joy she is .but now we or on the other side of the hill again.a transplanted kidney only last about 10 years max in f s g s recepeints my how time flys |