Transplant Process

Since several of my friends haver been asking me, maybe other people have questions as well. This is from several past conversations with my transplant coordinator so I’m not 100% sure it’s accurate until I hear from my current coordinator about my case.

UCLA has two different groups to handle transplant recipients and donors. They each have a coordinator and a separate surgical team. For example, I’ve never heard any information from the donor side. I only get information since my donors candidates are my sister and good friend, and they pass along news to me. In my sister’s case, it took over three years but she finally got approval from the donor committee a few months ago. My friend was rejected in June due to his oxalate levels. I was approved in the past but was put on hold due to my heart surgery, and needed a bunch of tests ans appointments to get back on approved status. When my sister was approved, I had three more conditions to meet: 1) heart stress test, 2) colonoscopy, and 3) approval from cardiologist to temporarily stop taking Eliquis (blood thinner). Since then, I took a Lexiscan test which required two echocardiogram follow-ups, did my first colonoscopy, and got agreement from my cardiologist to stop the medication a week before surgery. My coordinator has not communicated any more conditions to meet so I assume the transplant committee will meet to approve/reject my candidacy. I can’t remember if they meet on Mondays or Fridays but I should hear back in a few weeks at the most.

Once both patients are approved, then the donor and the transplant coordinator meet to schedule the surgery since both need to happen around the same time to preserve the health of the donated kidney. They will also need to reserve two ICU beds: 2-3 days for the donor, and 5-6 days for the recipient. This likely was not an issue in the past but now with the COVID-19 resurgence, there are no ICU beds in Los Angeles County. Because we can control the timing of the surgeries, I believe a live donor transplant is classified as an elective surgery so they’re pretty low priority right now. Hopefully, with the vaccine and more awareness, all things pandemic will improve and some ICU beds will free up. Here are some LA County hospital capacity data:

There appears to be only 25 unoccupied and staffed ICU beds in LA County as of 12/30. Not sure how many are at UCLA, but pretty sure they aren’t going to reserve two for a kidney transplant anytime soon.

<rant> Finally, to the covidiots who think violating social distancing orders and getting sick has no impact on society, you are wrong. You may survive and recover, but other people you may have infected are dying, in large numbers. Also by being careless, you are using up scarce medical resources that are needed by other patients. I have been on dialysis for over four years so another few months won’t kill me but for stroke or heart attack patients that cannot find an open ER or ICU bed? They are dying thanks to you. </rant>