Living donor kidney transplantation in the UK has increased exponentially in recent years. The success of these transplants, together with advances in clinical practice and a change in the law has created more opportunity and choice for patients than ever before. As often as possible, we aim to explore the option of a planned living donor kidney transplant for patients with chronic kidney disease at an early stage so that they can avoid dialysis treatment and receive a transplant instead when it becomes necessary. This offers the best chance of long-term success for both the patient and the kidney.
It is very much a team effort, involving a range of healthcare professionals working together with patients and their families to ensure the best outcome for them. I am one of a number of nurses, based in either transplant or dialysis units across the UK, working with living kidney donors and their potential recipients. I am mainly responsible for co-ordinating the management and care of donors from their first contact with us, through the assessment process, surgery and follow-up after donation. The initial assessment of a donor is very important in order to identify potential problems and address them as early as possible. Equally, the potential recipient must be carefully evaluated to ensure that it is safe for them to proceed with a transplant. The experience for individual donors and recipients can vary depending upon how complex their particular situation is and the ‘pathway’ that they need to follow. One of the challenges of my role is keeping the process running smoothly for everyone and supporting donors, recipients and their families through an experience which is full of expectation and uncertainty. Sometimes, it is not possible to proceed as planned. This may be because the donor or recipient has a health problem which prevents the transplant going ahead or one or other may decide to withdraw from the process for personal reasons. Whatever the circumstances, it can be distressing for all concerned and it is really important to ensure that proper support and care is available to patients and their families who are faced with this situation.
I feel very privileged to be part of a team of colleagues who are committed to working with patients and their families so that they can make the best decisions for them about their treatment.
