Adult Pancreas Transplant Services
Dedicated to the Care of Patients with Kidney Disease
The Kidney Transplant Program at University Hospital:
- Established in 1968
- Performed over 500 kidney transplants
- Outcome statistics above the national average
- First in South Texas to perform laparoscopic living donor nephrectomies
- Combined kidney/pancreas transplantation
- Takes pride in giving personalized, excellent care
We encourage living kidney donation and offer laparascopic kidney removal for living donors when appropriate. Our priority is ensuring the safety of the potential living donor and recipient. Because of this, the evaluation for both donor and recipient is comprehensive.
The Healthy Kidney:
- Removes waste products or "cleans the blood"
- Controls the fluids in your body
- Helps maintain healthy bones
- Helps your body make red blood cells
- Controls the chemistry of your blood—things like salt, potassium, calcium and phosphorous
Signs of Kidney Disease:
- Swelling due to fluid retention
- Shortness of breath, due to fluid in the lungs and around the heart
- High blood pressure
- Headache, fatigue, anemia
- Decreased appetite, progressing to nausea, vomiting
These symptoms may worsen as a person gets closer to end stage renal disease, or "ESRD". When a person is diagnosed with ESRD, it's time to start asking about transplant, even if dialysis has not yet started.
Most Common Causes of Kidney Failure are:
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Polycystic Kidney Disease
- Lupus
- Chronic inflammation of the kidneys (glomerulonephritis)
Reasons Not to Transplant:
- Over age 75
- Uncontrolled infection
- Severe obesity
- Advanced, inoperable heart disease
- Active substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, tobacco)
- Cancer—Some patients who have had cancer in the past may still be able to have a transplant, depending on the type of cancer and how long they have been cancer free.
- Non-compliance—A transplant recipient must be willing and able to follow all medical instructions, before and after transplant.
- No family or social support. Transplant is a "family affair". A potential recipient must be able to identify at least one "significant other" who will help them get through the transplant process.
- Hepatitis C with cirrhosis
The Referral Process:
- A doctor or kidney specialist (Nephrologist) can refer a patient to our center.
- We will ask for basic information regarding Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance coverage.
- We will obtain a complete medical history and review medical records.
The Evaluation:
- Transplant clinic appointment with the nurse coordinator, Nephrologist and Surgeon
- Interview with transplant social worker
- Blood tests—to determine blood type, genetic tissue typing and other studies
- Chest x-ray
- Cancer screenings, depending on your age, gender and history
- Cardiology evaluation
- Any other screenings our doctors think are necessary
When the evaluation is complete, it is reviewed by our transplant team. If eligible, patients are placed on the waiting list for a kidney. After being placed on the list, we can begin screening any potential living donors.
The Surgery:
- Native kidneys are usually not removed
- The new kidney is placed in the lower right or left abdominal area
- Surgery takes 3–5 hours
- One day in the Transplant Intensive Care Unit after surgery
- About a week in the hospital on the Transplant Telemetry Unit (all rooms are private)
The Benefits:
- Normal kidney function—no need for dialysis as long as the transplanted kidney is working.
- Dietary and fluid restrictions of dialysis are no more—the only dietary requirement is a low fat, low salt diet and diabetic diet if it applies.
- Freedom to travel, work, go back to school and enjoy life!
- Quality of life is better after transplant, ask any transplant recipient!
Follow-up Care
Patients are followed closely in our clinic the first 6–8 weeks after transplant. Medications are quickly lowered during this time. Once the patient is stable, we start sharing responsibility with the referring doctor for care. The patient will need routine blood work and clinic visits as indicated. We strongly encourage the referring doctor to contact us with any questions or problems.
