What is the longest a recipient has survived with a kidney transplant?

[okarol]

What is the longest a recipient has survived with a kidney transplant?

Info gathered on the internet - August 2008.

*Joan Waddell is one of the longest-surviving kidney transplant recipients [34 years] - got a kidney from her older brother in 1974 when she was 18 years old. http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=071210_1_A1_spanc56110
*John Peper is HCMC’s longest living kidney transplant recipient - related donor - 1970 - lasting 38 years. http://www.hcmc.org/depts/transplant/patientstory.htm
*Denice Lombard of Washington, D.C., received her father's kidney on August 30, 1967 aged 13 and is still alive and healthy forty years later. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidney_Transplant
*Howard Mehl was 20 years old in in 1965, received a kidney from his brother. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/feb06/trnshse.htm
*Dale Murdock is the fifth longest-living transplant recipient. Forty-four years ago, [age 14 in 1964] doctors transplanted a kidney into him. http://www.wtae.com/r/16892578/detail.html
*Bill Thompson is the longest known surviving recipient of a kidney from an unrelated donor, lasting 42 years; transplanted in 1966 at age 15. http://www.childrensmemorial.org/depts/siragusa/feature.aspx?sID=2760&pID=1318
*Pam Collier on Monday, 24 March 2008 wrote: I have now had my Kidney transplant for 37 years as of 3 July 2008. http://www.kidney.org.au/Whoweare/KidneyBlog/tabid/143/EntryID/6/Default.aspx
*Michael Anderson on Saturday, 25 June 2005 wrote: Being one of the longest surviving renal transplants, (35 years post transplant), having suffered kidney failure at 22 years of age and awaited a transplant for five years. http://www.kidney.org.au/Whoweare/KidneyBlog/tabid/143/EntryID/6/Default.aspx

Kidneys: Longest Surviving - http://www.unos.org/data/default.asp?display=kidney&displayType=internationalData

[monrein]

    more, more, more 

[peleroja]

Certainly gives you something to strive for, doesn't it!

[paris]

   Gives us great hope.

[Zach]

Wonderful news.
 

[okarol]

From Lori Hartwell:

Charles has had a transplant for 37 years.
 
http://www.rsnhope.org/programs/kidneytalkshows/Charles_Rosenberg/index.php
------
(January 23, 2007)
Read story and hear his interview on KidneyTalk too.

[okarol]

* 84 year old Lucille Nemeth celebrated an anniversary last year. She got a kidney from her sister Faye Spivey 34 years ago. (1973) http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070506/NEWS01/705060331/1006 - deceased 2009 http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/pensacolanewsjournal/obituary-preview.aspx?n=lucille-nemeth&pid=131331880&referrer=1919
* Penny Jo “P.J.” Burnett will be celebrating a birthday of sorts today, 35 years of health given to her by a kidney transplant from her sister, Mary “Scarecrow” Foust in 1973. http://www.delphosherald.com/2008/09/12/kidney-transplant-patient/
* At 54, Twanny Farrugia is one of Australia's longest-surviving transplant recipients - his donated kidney has kept him going a staggering 36 years. http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=5519.0
* John Brady, 56, is still on the go after a successful kidney op in 1974 (his second) making him one of UK's longest surviving transplant recipients at 33 years. http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=4644.0

[okarol]

Added another: Brothers celebrate 30th anniversary of life-saving gift - http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=11138

[kidney4traci]

wonderful!!!!!!!!

[pelagia]

love the numbers! 

[draven]

At my transplant clinic there is a record sheet on the wall.

There is a lady who has had her kidney since 1974. not bad at all

[circleNthedrain]

Very inspirational !  Thank you Okarol !

[pelagia]

Stephen says he's planning to go 40 years! 

[okarol]

For Don Gordon, when the Pearl Harbor date rolls around [2008], it will mark, for him, the 25th anniversary of the kidney transplant that preserved his life. http://www.thecolumbiastar.com/news/2008/0718/news/006.html

Longest living kidney transplant recipient says never accept can't
2008-07-18 / News
By Jackie Perrone jacper@bellsouth.net

Snowball's chance is Don Gordon's manuscript documenting his journey through medical hell.
December 7 is a significant date for Don Gordon, but for a different reason than most. When the Pearl Harbor date rolls around this year, it will mark, for him, the 25th anniversary of the kidney transplant that preserved his life.

He doesn't know whether this is the longest recorded kidney transplant survival anywhere. He does know for sure that he is the longest surviving transplant patient at Columbia Nephrology Center, where he credits now- retired Dr. U. X. Cullum with his near- miraculous longevity.

"I was five years old when my kidney problems became critical," he notes. "My kidney damage was not due to disease but to a somewhat mechanical function which was not corrected until it had done irreparable damage to my kidney.

"Medication and dialysis were the treatments of choice for many years. Then in 1983, transplant surgery became the issue at Duke Medical Center, and my brother, Jim Gordon, donated a kidney.

"Probably one significant factor in my long- term endurance is that other than the kidney problem, my overall health was and is excellent. Heart, lungs, liver, physical fitness, those things are better than for most middle- aged men. I have been riding my bicycle around eastern Columbia ever since the 1970s."

His business career has included stints of marketing From page one and sales of such products as life insurance and overhead doors. He is now host of a talk show called Radio Free Dixie, and its web site, RadioFreeDixie. com. He offers verbal snapshots of history, and in his role as Lt. Commander of the Sons of Confederate Veterans he also tells some special commentary about the War Between the States.

His 60 years have been filled with medical trauma, hopes, and disappointments. A sense of humor and a philosophical approach to life have helped him through the worst of times.


"It's true that people who have faced the worst learn to appreciate the least. I know better than most folks that every day is precious, and the smallest moments can be important to us. Don't ever take your blessings for granted!"

He has put together a manuscript tentatively named Snowball's Chance, not yet published but documenting his journey through medical hell. He would like for it to provide some hope as well as help for others facing medical trauma.

Some of his rules for patients:

1. Play to win. Now is when you have to be willing to take chances. There's no glory for second place.

2. Remind yourself that about half of doctors finished in the bottom half of their class in medical school

3. Believe any doctor who says that he can't save you. Then go out and find one who says that he can.

Near the conclusion of his manuscript, he thinks back to a trip to Minnesota, where he had gone in a desperate search for help and offers this report about his return home:

"At the airport, they de- ice the plane two times. I can see seven snowplows working out on the tarmac… Shortly the pilot announces we were the last plane to lift off before the airport was closed down.

"The long flight home is good for my soul because it gives me plenty of time to think (and pray). Please God just let me live my life like a regular man whose biggest worry isn't whether he will wake up the next morning.

"Unexpectedly,"(Colu mbia had snow), "as we turned into the driveway I see everything covered in white except for little bursts of yellow from daffodils poking up their heads.

"We don't need any mystics to explain the meaning of life when we have such a perfect example showing what we should all be striving to do: Bloom in the face of adversity."

This medical miracle strives every day to do just that.

[okarol]

Harvey Brown marked the 30th anniversary since his life-changing kidney transplant with some of his children and grandchildren, as well as his two brothers, one of whom donated the life-saving kidney in 1979.
http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=11989.0

[Theresakay]

I'm still going strong. Received my transplant September 1978 ,after three years of home dialysis. I have had transplant longer then I had my own kidneys. Complete renal failure at 15, Transplant at 18 (three weeks before my wedding) Had my son eight years after transplant he is now 22 and has a one year old son of his own.

[Romona]

I'm still going strong. Received my transplant September 1978 ,after three years of home dialysis. I have had transplant longer then I had my own kidneys. Complete renal failure at 15, Transplant at 18 (three weeks before my wedding) Had my son eight years after transplant he is now 22 and has a one year old son of his own.

Great news!

[Chris]

 

[G-Ma]

Thanks Okarol...this chart might be what some of us needed.  What concerns me is the only hospital in the midwest listed is Minneapolis and none in NC for longevity or is this not necessarily a complete listing?

[monrein]

One of the men at my clinic had his Mum's kidney for just over 31 years.

[Falkenbach]

Is there any research regarding whether the actual age of the kidney at the time of transplant makes any difference to its longevity?

At the time of my transplant, my dad was 58. Which means my kidney will be turning 60 in March lol.

[Alain]

hey there!
we had a big party last may in the university hospital of basel, switzerland (well we call it party, they call it symposium or what ever).
A patient here got his transplant kidney April 5th, 1968 - 40 years ago, and he's still doing well! 
Hopefully my transplant I got at the same place will last as long as his does 

here an article about that (in german).. walter thalmann is the name if the lucky guy!!:
http://www.nephro-basel.ch/de/walter-thalmann-symposium.html
---------------
Walter Thalmann Symposium

Mid 60-ies of the last century began in the era of modern nephrology Basel with the successful treatment of chronic renal failure by dialysis and kidney transplantation. Even then, as now based progressive and successful renal replacement therapy on close professional, collegial and friendly, not least of interdisciplinary cooperation. First and foremost, the team of transplant surgery and urology are called. Next to mention are the numerous colleagues in the intensive care units, psychosomatic, the Department of Angiology, hematology, pathology, and infectious diseases, and last but not least, the entire internal medicine. The cornerstone for the success of a transplant but is already laid at the referring Nephrologinnen and nephrologists. Only through close cooperation, a well planned transplant and at least as important to the transplant patient will be provided with successfully.
Some of you may be wondering about the title of the symposium? Now the longest-functioning kidney was transplanted 40 years ago. Mr. Walter Thalmann lives with this kidney. With the mention of his name, we wanted the one kidney? Face? A? Name? . give Kidney itself does not represent a value, the value grows only by the individual to whom it is made ​​possible by a successful transplant to live a normal life. In this sense, the name Walter Thalmann is for all people, which could be helped by a transplant and more broadly for all those who by a kidney donation to these people unselfishly a great service to prove proven and.
More than 40 years of transplant history and functioning for 40 years Kidney transplant is for us a reason to look back at the history of kidney without affecting the present and the outlook to forget in the future. Dr. Michael Mayr / Prof. Jürg Steiger


Editied: Added translation - okarol/admin

[monrein]

Superbe, Alain.  I hope yours lasts as long also.

[Falkenbach]

I hope mine does too! 

[deafman]

Gees, I would love it if my transplanet kidney last that long.