Kidney transplants from living, anonymous donors are rare, program manager says

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http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/01/anonymous_donors_for_kidney_tr.html

Kidney transplants from living, anonymous donors are rare, program manager says
By Sue Thoms

Simie Bredeweg is surprised how often the phone rings at Mercy Health Saint Mary’s transplant program with an offer from someone willing to donate a kidney to a stranger.

“Those donors who don’t have a prior relationship typically are amazing people,” she said. “They are people with amazing hearts who feel like they have a calling.”

Only one or two a year actually result in a transplant because of the testing required to make sure the donor is a good candidate, said Bredeweg, the transplant program manager. But those operations can be a life-saver for someone in need of a new kidney.

The number of organs from deceased donors does not come close to filling the need. Nearly 100,000 people in the U.S., including 2,602 in Michigan, are waiting for kidney transplants, according to the United Network of Organ Sharing and Gift of Life Michigan.

Saint Mary’s typically performs about 80 kidney transplants a year, with about 40 percent involving living donors.

And in living-donor transplants, about 27 percent are from unrelated donors – close friends, members of the community or anonymous donors. That number has held steady for the past five years, Bredeweg said.

In an “anonymous donor” transplant, the donor and recipient don’t meet before the surgery. Afterward, if both are willing, they can arrange through a social worker to connect.

See related story: 'God told me to give you one of my kidneys'

And the donor must go through intensive testing before the transplant. Much of the testing is focused on determining if they are at risk for kidney disease or conditions that could cause it, such as diabetes or hypertension.

“We have to do our best to make sure they have the right mindset about this decision,” Bredeweg said. “They’re not making it because of coercion or trying to make appeasement for something in the past. We want to make sure it’s a well thought-out decision, because it is a big decision.”

Outcomes tend to be better when the kidney comes from a living donor, according to Saint Mary’s success rates.

One year after surgery, kidney function is good for 97 percent of those who receive organs from living donors, compared with 91 percent with deceased donors. Three years after surgery, kidney functioning is 93 percent for living and 89 percent for deceased donors.

“Typically, the kidney they are receiving is of higher quality,” Bredeweg said. “It’s coming from a 100 percent healthy individual.”

The center follows the living donors for two years after transplant to make sure they remain healthy. They are advised to take precautions to protect their remaining kidney. They should avoid ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain relievers. And they should steer clear of high-protein diets because they can be harder on the kidney.

“The health outcomes are great” for donors, she said.

Sue Lewis, an East Grand Rapids woman who donated a kidney seven years ago to man she barely knew, agreed that a donor can live a healthy life with one kidney. Six weeks after her surgery in 2007, she was back to her running routine. A year later, she competed in a triathlon – and the recipient, Shawn Gotch – took part, too.

She said she understands the spiritual reasons behind Sarah Farkas’ decision to donate her kidney to Duke Guy.

When she offered to be a donor, “It was a God thing,” Lewis said. “It came so out of the blue.

“I did not save someone’s life. God chose to save his life. I was just part of the process.”

Still, Bredeweg is in awe of those who choose to donate a kidney to a stranger.

“Those anonymous donors should really be respected in the community because what they do is amazing,” she said. “They are changing someone’s life.”