Living organ donation

Transcription

1 Livig orga doatio Let's lear more

2 Table of Cotets Itroductio Why orga doatio is so importat Facig the facts Kidey trasplats are highly successful What exactly is livig kidey doatio? Who ca doate a kidey? Some advatages of livig kidey doatio How to become a livig door The evaluatio process Risks Costs & other practical matters Makig the decisio The surgery & follow-up Religious perspectives o doatio The Kidey Foudatio of Caada s commitmet Where to go for more iformatio Notes

3 1 Itroductio This brochure is about livig orga doatio, particularly livig kidey doatio. Decidig to become a livig kidey door is a very persoal decisio ad you have to make the choice that s right for you. There are two types of orga doatio: livig doatio happes whe someoe volutarily doates a orga (usually a kidey) or part of a orga (such as the liver or lug) to a perso i eed. Deceased doatio takes place whe orgas become available for trasplatatio after someoe has died. Why orga doatio is so importat Orga doatio saves lives ad restores health. A kidey trasplat is ot a cure but represets the best possible improvemet to health ad quality of life for may people livig with kidey failure. The oly other life-sustaiig treatmet is dialysis to artificially clea the blood.

4 2 Facig the facts The eed for orgas for trasplatatio is far greater tha the available supply. Over 3,000 Caadias are o a waitig list for kidey trasplatatio. Some will die waitig. Expected wait time ca vary from a few moths to several years, depedig o a variety of factors. Livig doatio of kideys is fast out-pacig deceased doatio as a source of orgas, but both kids of orga doatio combied still do ot meet the eed for kideys for trasplatatio. Kidey trasplats are highly successful Kidey trasplatatio is a very successful ad accepted treatmet. The success rate for a trasplat from a livig door is high: 90 95% of these kideys are workig well after oe year ad will last o average from 15 to 20 years. Success rates are improvig every year with advaces i medical research.

5 3 4 What exactly is livig kidey doatio? Normally everyoe has two kideys, although a perso ca live a healthy life with oe. Livig doatio occurs whe a perso freely decides to doate oe of their kideys to someoe i eed of a trasplat. This compassioate gesture offers the idividual waitig for a trasplat a alterative to dialysis or a deceased door trasplat. Doatig a kidey is the most frequet type of livig orga doatio. A livig kidey trasplat is the most successful of all trasplat procedures. Who ca doate a kidey? A livig kidey doatio comes most ofte from a family member such as a paret, child, brother or sister. A door ca also be a spouse, fried or co-worker. Or it ca be a strager. A geetic lik betwee door ad recipiet, although beeficial, is ot always required. This is largely due to improved ati-rejectio medicatios. Ayoe who is healthy ca doate a kidey. The age of coset to be a livig door varies from depedig o your provice, ad livig doors are usually less tha 70 years of age. They must be i good geeral health with o

6 4 evidece of sigificat high blood pressure, diabetes, cacer, kidey disease, heart disease or hepatitis. Several tests will be ecessary to determie if their kidey is compatible with the iteded recipiet. Some advatages of livig kidey doatio Time to pla. The orga doatio ad trasplat surgeries ca be scheduled whe both the door ad recipiet are i the best possible health. This will help to esure the quality of the doated kidey is at its highest. Less waitig. The legth of time the recipiet waits for a orga is shorter whe the orga comes from a livig door. Also, other recipiets o the trasplat waitig list who do ot have a livig door themselves, move up the trasplat waitig list oce the recipiet of the livig door kidey is removed from the list. Avoidace of dialysis. With a livig door kidey, the trasplat surgery may take place earlier i the course of the kidey disease, perhaps eve before the perso begis dialysis treatmets.

7 5 4 Better door orga survival rates. The trasplated kidey ofte lasts loger tha a kidey from a deceased door, is usually healthier, ad ofte works right away. Feelig of satisfactio. For the door, it is a very positive psychological experiece kowig that he or she has helped someoe i eed. How to become a livig door First, lear as much as you ca about livig doatio, ad fid out your blood type. The, cotact the trasplat ceter that is takig care of the potetial recipiet to arrage testig to cofirm whether your blood type is compatible. From there, the trasplat ceter staff will lead you through the evaluatio process. If you are cosiderig doatig to someoe you kow, ask them if they are willig to cosider you as a door. Some people livig with kidey failure decide ot to have a trasplat, or they decide ot to have a livig door. Their decisio should always be respected it is their right to decide agaist a trasplat or to declie a livig door orga. If the perso declies your offer, it takes othig away from your geerous offer. The decisios, rights ad feeligs of both parties should be respected.

8 6 The evaluatio process The evaluatio process is legthy perhaps as log as six moths. May tests are doe to determie if the potetial door is healthy eough to doate a kidey ad will be a good match for the potetial recipiet. These tests iclude: blood type compatibility, assessmet of geeral health, further compatibility tests ad others to determie the health of the door kidey. Also, a psychosocial assessmet of the potetial door takes place to give them a opportuity to discuss their feeligs or ay cocers. This assessmet also makes sure the door has all the ecessary iformatio to make a decisio, ad receives emotioal support throughout the process. These ivestigatios ad appoitmets may be time cosumig. They may also require travel ad time off work as the livig door cadidate meets with differet members of the healthcare team such as ephrologists, trasplat surgeos, trasplat coordiators, social workers, etc.

9 7 Risks Livig kidey doatio does ot chage a perso s overall life expectacy, or does it affect a perso s ability to have childre. As with ay major surgery, there are risks of physical complicatios but these ca usually be effectively maaged. Short term risks iclude peumoia, ifectio, pai ad discomfort, allergic reactio to aesthesia, collapsed lug or blood clots. Rarely, death occurs. I the loger term, potetial risks iclude: Slight icreased risk of high blood pressure Slight icreased icidece of kidey failure Possibility of ijurig the remaiig kidey; after doatio, cotact sports should be avoided Slight risk of developig a disease of the remaiig kidey Some people also experiece psychological difficulties, although most doors are satisfied with their decisio to doate a kidey.

10 8 Costs & other practical matters Provicial health plas cover the medical costs of livig doatio. I most cases, the door will have to pay ay o-medical costs such as travel expeses, out-of-pocket costs, ad ay additioal child-care costs. I additio, there may be possible loss of salary for time off work for recovery from the surgery, uless there is sick leave coverage available from the door s compay health pla. Sice some provices do reimburse some of the o-medical expeses, the door should speak to the social worker or Livig Door Coordiator at the trasplat ceter to fid out more. Potetial livig doors should also check with their isurace provider cocerig life isurace, private health isurace or travel isurace policies to obtai all the facts.

11 9 Makig the decisio Makig the decisio to become a livig kidey door is probably oe of the biggest decisios a perso ca make durig their lifetime. The decisio must be a well-iformed oe that is right for the potetial door. Whether someoe is asked to cosider doatig oe of their kideys, or comes forward of their ow accord, it is atural to have some cocers about the decisio. There are may factors to cosider icludig the risks ad beefits of doatio, ad the emotioal ad practical impact the doatio will have o the door, their family, work ad social life. More tha oe potetial door? Sometimes there is more tha oe willig door for a specific recipiet. For example, several family members or frieds may be willig doors ad suitable cadidates. To see who might be best suited to doate their kidey, all aspects of livig doatio must be cosidered: physical, emotioal, fiacial ad practical. The healthcare team will help with the evaluatio.

12 10 People to talk to. The fial decisio belogs to the door aloe. But gettig some iformed help, ad discussig thoughts, feeligs ad questios ca help the door to see just how prepared they are to doate a kidey. People to talk with iclude: Family members ad close frieds Religious or spiritual advisor Fiacial advisor Someoe who has doated a kidey. The Kidey Foudatio s KIDNEY CONNECT Peer Support Program matches potetial livig doors with someoe who has had the experiece of doatig a kidey. Someoe who has received a livig kidey doatio or who is a member of a livig door support group Social worker, cousellor or ay member of the healthcare team

13 11 4 Some questios for the potetial door to cosider. How much do I kow about livig kidey doatio? What are the beefits ad risks to me persoally? How would the doatio affect my family ad me fiacially? Will I still be able to get health isurace ad life isurace? What about disability isurace? What are the implicatios of losig salary or wages for time off work? Will my employer provide sick leave? Is my job physically demadig? How log will it take after surgery to resume workig? What is my relatioship with the recipiet? Will it be differet afterwards? Who will take care of my regular household resposibilities durig evaluatio, surgery ad recovery? Child care ad pet care resposibilities? Household chores? Cleaig ad cookig? Trasportatio?

14 12 Choosig to doate. Oce the decisio is made to doate a kidey, the surgery is scheduled ad both parties are admitted to the hospital for fial testig before the surgery. If at that time there are cocers about the health of the door or the recipiet, the surgery may be postpoed or cacelled. Choosig ot to doate. If a potetial door chooses ot to doate, the healthcare team will support ad respect this decisio. They will also help the perso commuicate the decisio to the potetial recipiet ad family members i such a way as to preserve harmoy. Chagig your mid. The door ca chage their mid at ay time durig the evaluatio process ad the healthcare team will support the decisio. The surgery & follow-up Livig kidey doatio surgery ca be doe via traditioal ope surgery or the ewer laparoscopic techique available i some trasplat ceters. The healthcare team will discuss with the potetial door the beefits ad risks of both types of procedure, as well as follow-up care. Surgery to remove a kidey is called a ephrectomy.

15 13 4 Traditioal ope ephrectomy. This operatio takes about two to three hours to complete ad the perso remais i hospital for four to six days afterward. Six to twelve weeks are eeded for full recovery, although the idividual may retur to work after four to six weeks if their job is fairly sedetary ad does ot require heavy liftig or physical activity. Laparoscopic ephrectomy. This is sometimes also called keyhole surgery. The operatio takes about three to four hours, followed by a hospital stay of three to four days. The idividual ca usually retur to work ad a ormal routie i three to four weeks, although if their work ivolves heavy liftig, the recovery time may be exteded. The advatages of the laparoscopic procedure are a smaller icisio, less pai ad scarrig, a shorter hospital stay ad quicker recovery for the door. Follow-up care. The door sees the surgeo agai about two weeks after the surgery, ad other members of the healthcare team (such as ephrologists, urses, social worker, etc.) about six to ie weeks after the surgery. Blood ad urie tests will be doe to make sure the remaiig kidey is workig well.

16 14 All doors should be followed o a yearly basis for blood pressure, urie ad blood tests. These aual checkups ca be arraged through the door s family doctor or through the trasplat ceter. Doors should also adopt a healthy lifestyle ad maitai a appropriate weight to promote log-term health. A few geeral precautios. I geeral, doors should avoid rough cotact sports (such as football ad hockey) that could damage the remaiig kidey. Pregacy should be postpoed for at least six moths after the surgery. The door should cotiue to have a aual physical exam icludig blood ad urie tests. Religious perspectives o doatio May religious groups edorse orga doatio ad/or respect a perso s right to make their ow decisio. If you have questios about your ow religious or spiritual practice, speak with your religious or spiritual leader.

17 15 The Kidey Foudatio of Caada s commitmet The Kidey Foudatio of Caada is workig with represetatives from healthcare, idustry ad govermet to improve orga doatio rates. The Foudatio ecourages Caadias to make a positive decisio regardig orga doatio ad to discuss their wishes with their family. Where to go for more iformatio Cotact your local office of The Kidey Foudatio of Caada, a orga trasplat ceter, or your family doctor.

18 16 Notes

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20 T h e K i d ey Fo u d a t i o OUR VISION Kidey health, ad improved lives for all people affected by kidey disease. OUR MISSION The Kidey Foudatio of Caada is the atioal voluteer orgaizatio committed to reducig the burde of kidey disease through: fudig ad stimulatig iovative research; providig educatio ad support; promotig access to high quality healthcare; ad icreasig public awareess ad commitmet to advacig kidey health ad orga doatio. For further iformatio, or if you wish to help us i our efforts, please cotact The Kidey Foudatio of Caada office i your area. You ca also visit our Web site at This material is available i accessible formats upo request by cotactig ifo@kidey.ca or callig R E F. N O. : O D - L I V O R G D O N - E N G - 0 8