Tatiana Alvarez, R.N.,
B.S.N. |
“The first step to getting on the transplant waiting list is to learn as much as you can about transplantation,” says Tatiana Alvarez, R.N., B.S.N., Pre-transplant Coordinator at the Renal and Pancreas Transplant Center at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. Patients receiving dialysis treatments can seek general information about transplantation from the staff at their dialysis center, through their nephrologist, or directly from a kidney transplant center.
An excellent source of reliable information is a transplant surgeon designee. “The transplant surgeon designee is an important link to transplantation, because she acts as a liaison between the dialysis center and the transplant center,” notes Ms. Alvarez.
“Kidney transplantation offers a better quality of life, but it also carries responsibilities for maintaining a donated organ,” stresses Ms. Alvarez. “Patients who decide to explore this treatment option for themselves should contact a Renal and Pancreas Transplant Center to begin the evaluation process.” The Renal and Pancreas Transplant Centers at Saint Barnabas and Newark Beth Israel Medical Centers offer weekly, day-long, educational and evaluation programs for patients and their families. Anyone interested in being listed on the organ transplant waiting list is required to undergo a complete evaluation that ensures overall health and medical suitability for transplantation. “The evaluation process can take a few weeks or several months, depending on the patient’s age and medical history,” she explains.
“Once the patient’s name is placed on the transplant waiting list, he/she should stay in close contact with the tranplant center’s pre-transplant coordinator,” Ms. Alvarez notes. “We encourage patients to call us often with questions and updates. They should let us know about any complications they are experiencing or any hospitalizations, as well as changes in the most basic information like address and telephone number.
“The dialysis centers also help keep us in touch with patients by sending important medical information and by collecting and sending blood samples every month so a fresh sample is available for testing when a donor organ becomes available,” concludes Ms. Alvarez.
A transplant surgeon designee is a dialysis nurse with additional knowledge and certification in the area of kidney transplantation. The role of the designee is to put dialysis patients in direct contact with a kidney transplant center so the patient can make an educated choice about his or her treatment options. Every dialysis center is required to have at least one transplant surgeon designee on staff in compliance with a mandate by the Trans-Atlantic Renal Council.
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