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Kidney Transplantation Referral May be Impeded by Dialysis Providers’ Beliefs

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By Natasha Persaud

KDIGO guidelines advise health care providers to refer patients on dialysis with past non-adherence to transplant centers for evaluation as possible kidney transplant candidates, yet not all qualified patients are referred, investigators reported at the 2023 American Transplant Congress in San Diego, California. In some cases, providers delay referral or opt not to refer based on their idiosyncratic and subjective beliefs about patients’ non-adherence.

“We believe most providers at dialysis centers and at transplant centers want all eligible patients referred for kidney transplantation,” Adam S. Wilk, PhD, and Jenny McDonnell, PhD/MPH candidate, of Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, Georgia, said in a joint statement to Renal & Urology News. Read more in Renal & Urology News.

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ESKD, Death Risks Are High After Heart Transplantation With Kidney Dysfunction

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By Natasha Persaud

Heart-alone transplant recipients with pre-existing kidney impairment have “unacceptably high” risks of progressing to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) requiring renal replacement therapy and dying, investigators warned at the 2023 American Transplant Congress in San Diego, California.

Using the 2000-2018 Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, Rose Mary Attieh, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and colleagues identified 3391 first-time recipients of a heart-only transplant who had a low baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; in mL/min/1.73m2).
Read the full story in Renal & Urology News.

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The ultimate Father’s Day gift: Daughter donates lifesaving kidney to N.J. dad

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By Rob Jennings

Bill Hemstead expects to celebrate a Father’s Day this year unlike any other in his life.

His three adult daughters — who are scattered across the country in Wisconsin, Hawaii and Colorado — will all be joining him Sunday at their childhood home in West Milford along with Kathy, their mother and Hemstead’s wife of nearly 36 years.
Read the full story in NJ.com.

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In a time of grief, a stranger’s family gave him the ultimate gift

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By Brigid McCarthy, Laura Kwerel

This story is part of the My Unsung Hero series, from the Hidden Brain team, about people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone else.

A few years ago, Andy Davis and his wife decided to ride their bikes across the country. They spent months training and planning for their adventure.

But one day in February of 2020, just a few months before they were going to start, Davis felt an intense pain across his chest. After two Medevac flights and some time in the hospital, he was diagnosed with heart failure, a serious condition in which the heart can no longer pump blood efficiently. Read the full story from NPR.

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New Heart Transplant Method Could Boost Donor Pool By 30%: Study

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By Ralph Ellis

A recently developed way to perform heart transplants works as well as the traditional method and,  if widely embraced,  could greatly increase the number of hearts available for transplant, doctors at Duke University say.

The study team looked at 180 heart transplants conducted at numerous hospitals, half involving hearts from brain-dead donors – the traditional method – and half involving hearts from people who had circulatory deaths. Circulatory death occurs when all circulatory and respiratory functions stop.
Read more in WebMD.

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She’s survived cancer, heart failure and a heart transplant

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By Laura Williamson, American Heart Association News

When Dawn Mussallem was little, she dreamed of having her face on a Smucker’s jar – the recognition the “Today” show gives to people who reach their 100th birthday.

So, she committed herself to eating a healthy plant-based diet, eschewing junk food and many childhood staples, like chocolate milk and sugary cereals. She also stayed physically active – becoming a competitive gymnast and running on the weekends.
Read the full story in American Heart Association News.

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Research Continues in Curing HIV Via Stem Cell Transplant

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CCR5 mutation creates a challenge for HIV to infect more cells, thereby creating resistance to the virus.

Stem cell transplantation shows promise as a potential cure for HIV, according to research from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) published in the journal Immunity. According to the investigators, these findings may accelerate efforts in developing a widespread cure for HIV, which has infected approximately 38 million individuals worldwide. Read more in the Pharmacy Times.

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Duke’s Organ Transplant Program: Out With the Old, In With the New

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By Dave Hart

Excellence and Innovation Drive Duke’s Organ Transplant Program

Nicole Wills knew she was in trouble.

For the previous two years, Wills had been under evaluation and treatment for pulmonary fibrosis as an outpatient at Duke University Hospital, making the trip to Durham every three months from her home in Cramerton, a small town near Charlotte. She had recently undergone a lobectomy, but she was otherwise young and fit, exercising regularly and raising an active 10-year-old son. Read the full story from Duke University School of Medicine.

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