I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: Transplant Discussion => Topic started by: sullidog on April 16, 2010, 06:01:46 PM
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This probably rarely happens, but I'm sure it's possible. What would happen if you got the call while on the machine? Would you have someone take you off? or would you just wait it out until your treatments done. I know if you wait you may not get the kidney. So what's the best way to handle this?
Troy
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Otto had this happen and they told him he needed to get there ASAP, he did home-hemo at the time so off he went........
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I think it depends whre the kidney is coming from, so if it is close, they may want you to finish dialysis first. It is a good question to ask your coordinator though so you can be better prepared. However, I do not see a problem having the tech take you off since it is a very very good reason to be taken off ASAP!
I was called a few hours after I was dialized and was asked when I was last dialized. I am not sure if I would have had to get there sooner or not to have some dialysis before transplant for a better operating procedure and easier out come.
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They usually want you good and dialyzed so I'd think they would want you to finish.
A lot of things to consider I would guess.
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Another related question: If you are wet from PD and get the call, do they drain first before the operation?
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I was on D when I got my initial call, and they had me finish. I was on the 6 am shift, and they called around 9am to tell me I was a match for a possible transplant. I didn't actually have the surgery until the next morning, though, and didn't need to be at the hospital until midnight. It depends on the physical condition of the donor. Mine was on life support machines, and the "organ procurement" didn't take place until after they had potential donors lined up for every possible organ.
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I have long had this "fantasy" that I would get the call while I was on the machine and that would be a bit of a laugh.
It actually did happen late last year to a guy I knew in our unit(not on my shift, so I didn't see it, but the staff told me all about it with much glee). This guy was a bit of a maveric, not very good with his fluid control and stuff. He'd been waiting around 5 years I believe. Anyway he was part way through his 5 hour session. The call didn't actually come to him directly though (the way transplant calls work here is they don't call the patient direct, the call the tx team at the hospital and they decide on the organ and then THEY inform the patient) so apparently the head of the renal dept (who is incidently my neph) wandered into the unit and asked if patient so-and-so was there. They said yep, he's right over there. So doc walks up to him and informs him they have a kidney for him and he's going in when he's done. Apparently he was so excited his BP was through the roof for the rest of his session :rofl; (I can't blame him. I'd be itching for it to be over and to get on with it).
I agree that they definitely want you as clean (via dialysis) as possible so they'd want you to finish the session. Given that after you get the call they still need to do final cross matching, blood tests etc it's ideal to take the blood while you're still on D, run the tests, finish your D etc and get you ready because the op probably still won't be for hours yet.
So anyway I often wonder if that will happen for me. i think the grin would be so huge if that ever happened I'd be nervous anxious excited all at the same time! LOL (though I'd also be thinking - how can I let IHD know?!?!! but I figured that out - I can text Tamara :) )
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I'd probably scream so loud at the center everyone would be like what the...?
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My nurse and tech, as well as the rest of the patients were all excited and bouncing around. At the end of my run, they told me to get out and not come back! I have been back to visit - it's a lot more fun to stop in when I don't have to stay for 4 hours!
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Another related question: If you are wet from PD and get the call, do they drain first before the operation?
Yes, any abdominal surgery you have to be empty for esp transplant becuase they don't want you to dialyse in the first instance becuase they don't know what the new kidney is doing and what the pd is doing. I had to drain before the op and so did a few others on PD (their caths were left in though, mine was removed becuase i had a functioning fistula and PD wasn't working) Generally they'd leave the cath in though incase you do need dialysis in the first few days/weeks after the transplant.