Unfortunately, many people with kidney disease,
their physicians and even some nephrologists, consider
dialysis a final stage. It is not. Actually, dialysis is
more often a stepping stone to kidney transplantation and
a new lease on life. Thanks to considerable progress in
organ transplantation, today, the majority of patients
receiving dialysis treatments may be eligible for kidney
transplantation.
I advise patients on dialysis to be inquisitive,
learn all they can about their treatment options and take
an active role in maintaining their optimal health. It is
not uncommon for people with chronic illness to become depressed
and begin to ignore important aspects of their health. For
example, patients who routinely visited their primary care
physician and nephrologist before they began dialysis, suddenly
stop seeing their physicians and assume that visits to the
dialysis clinic are sufficient. In fact, the overall health
assessment and treatment available at dialysis clinics is
very limited.
It is very important for patients with renal
disease to be vigilant about all phases of their health,
follow their recommended diet, take their medications consistently,
and continue all of the routine health screenings that they
underwent before starting dialysis.
The following tests are recommended to maintain
wellness and are required as part of the pre-transplant screening
process.
• COLONOSCOPY FOR PATIENTS OVER
50 YEARS OF AGE – performed as recommended
by physician
• CARDIAC SCREENINGS INCLUDING EKG,
STRESS TEST AND ECHOCARDIOGRAM – performed
annually
• PSA TEST AND PROSTATE EXAM FOR
MALES – performed annually
• PAP TEST AND MAMMOGRAM FOR FEMALES – performed
annually
• CHEST X-RAY – performed
annually
• PPD TEST TO DETECT TUBERCULOSIS – performed
annually
Once a patient with renal disease has decided
to seek a transplant, I encourage him or her to talk openly
with family and significant others about the prospects for
living donation. Many patients choose transplantation, but
are firm about not opening the topic of living donation with
family members, when in fact making a living organ donation
is exactly what their loved ones would like to do. It is
unfortunate that some dialysis patients wait unnecessarily
on the national organ transplant waiting list when there
is a willing living donor in their life.
If you or a loved one are receiving dialysis,
I urge you to envision the weekly dialysis treatments, not
as an end, but as a transition to transplantation. Do not
give up, do not withdraw. Instead, be pro-active in preserving
or even improving your physical condition and take an active
role in all the decisions affecting your health.
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