Kidney transplantation is the best gift for a dialysis patient

The theme of this year’s World Kidney Day, ‘Kidney Health for All,’ is a global call for people to actively know their kidney health measures, and be aware of kidney disease. The Kidney Health 2022 campaign focuses on attempts to promote kidney health education and awareness, as well as initiatives to close the chronic kidney disease (CKD) knowledge gap at all levels of kidney care.

Dr Rosnawati Yahya, a leading kidney transplant physician, revealed that kidney transplant recipients often live longer and have a higher quality of life than dialysis patients. She said: “Patients who are on haemodialysis usually need to go for their sessions around three times a week and use up nearly 4 hours of their time just to receive the treatment. This process is both tiring and costly.”

Rosnawati explained that getting a healthy kidney is frequently a family matter, as it is fastest to source a donor from the patient’s parents or siblings, as often, they will be the best match. If that isn’t possible, they will turn to their extended family for help, she said.

Process of kidney transplantation
The process begins when Rosnawati receives a referral for a new patient in need of kidney transplant. She then sets up a meeting with both the donor and the patient. “I will usually take the patient and donor through a very detailed session, in which I discuss the benefits of a kidney transplant over dialysis, while also taking them through the potential risks of the procedure. Once both the donor and patient understand and agree to proceed, the donor will then undergo a thorough evaluation process. This includes a thorough assessment of medical history, blood and urine tests, and cardiac and radiological investigations to determine the donor’s health risks so that we can be better prepared to mitigate any potential risks of kidney failure in the future.”

According to Jenny Chong Yoke Chin, senior staff nurse and transplant coordinator, comprehensive early counselling and testing is vital to ensuring the entire process goes smoothly. She said: “Once we confirm with the transplant physician that the donor does not have any contraindication, my role as transplant coordinator takes over. I will proceed to coordinate various tests to record aspects of the patient’s health such as blood results, radiology reports, and special diagnostic reports and update the physician at each stage of evaluation. The physician will decide whether the transplant process can be moved on to the next stage.”

Post-transplant recuperation
Barring any problems, donors will usually be discharged 3 to 5 days post-surgery to convalesce at home. They return for a check-up 2 weeks later for an assessment of their recovery progress. However, recipients are required to stay in the hospital for at least a week for close monitoring. It takes roughly 6 weeks for both the donor and the recipient to resume their usual life after the transplant provided there were no complications. In certain cases, dialysis can be stopped immediately if the transplanted kidney is working well, said Rosnawati.

For Chung and Rosnawati, the best reward for them is to see someone who was previously sick have better quality of life. Chung said: “I’ve seen children return to school, dialysis patients who were difficult to deal with become cheerful, happier and more approachable. I’ve also heard of patients who got married and now have children of their own. This is truly the favourite part of my career; it has made me even more passionate about giving patients the information they need so they have the knowledge to take ownership over their health.”