12 years post donation

[JaneP]

I'm new to this forum, and have to say that this is a wonderful resource for living donors.  I donated to my husband who has polycystic kidney disease 12 years ago, (actually right on Valentines Day), and we both are doing very well thank God. We both even ran a marathon together a couple years ago.
I would like to  know if anyone knows if the surgical clips that are used ever dislodge years later. Is there any information anywhere about this - I continue to have my kidney function monitored every 6 months and that's been fine but it never occurred to  me until recently, when I had a vague sort of pain in my back on that side,(really mild but like something was rubbing) that I thought about the possibility of it being the clip.  I do have a call into the surgeon who did my surgery but having trouble reaching him.
Well keep up the good work here, and thank you for any information you may have.

Donor - February 14, 2006 -  St. Barnabas Livingston, NJ

[elephant]

Hi Jane.
I wondered about that myself after I saw x-rays of my abdomen!

Clips are not supposed to cause problems, but some people do have later issues when the clips are near a nerve. 

See this article:
https://www.steadyhealth.com/medical-answers/surgical-clips-left-inside-the-body

Of course the clips were put there so you wouldn't bleed to death after surgery, so they are needed...I guess it's worth the risk of a problem later. 

love, elephant

[Orchidlady]

I hadn't thought about this either, Jane, until I went to a chiropractor about five years ago and saw the xray - wow! what a lot of clips!  I have only had an odd pinch on odd occasions that I always wonder if it is a clip nudging something.

If you can't get a hold of the surgeon, try asking for one of the transplant coordinators - or better yet, your husband's transplant coordinator. They might at least be able to run interference and get a better answer for you.

Let us know what you find out.

[Fr Pat]

     Years back at this site a doctor explained that the clips stop the blood circulation, but that then the cut blood vessels heal and close. So even if a clip fails much later on the blood vessel has permanently blocked itself.
      Fr. Pat