Originally published 7th March 2011
Staff from Leicester’s hospitals are inviting members of the public to visit them at Fosse Park Shopping Centre on World Kidney Day – Thursday 10th March – to find out more about kidney disease.
Chronic kidney disease increases the risk of heart problems and some patients develop progressive kidney failure leading to the need for dialysis or kidney transplantation.
In Leicestershire, 100-150 adults each year start dialysis treatment and currently there are over 400 patients on dialysis in the county, with a similar number with functioning renal transplants. Each year around 90 patients from all over the East Midlands receive a kidney transplant at Leicester General Hospital and more than half of these are done from living donors.
Mrs Ceri Moore of Hinckley is one such patient. Ceri received a kidney transplant in Cambridge in 1970 and has been regularly attending follow-up clinics at Leicester General Hospital.
Ceri said:
“I want to draw attention to World Kidney Day to help other people on the transplant waiting list and encourage people to register as a donor. If someone hadn’t donated, I wouldn’t be here now, and neither would my children.”
Dr Graham Warwick, kidney specialist at Leicester General Hospital said: “Ceri has had the same transplanted kidney for 40 years. To put that into context, a kidney transplant from a deceased donor lasts for an average of 10 years; from a living donor the transplant can last a little longer. So, to have a kidney transplant lasting 40 years is very unusual and a great success.”
He added:
“It is really important for people who are at risk from kidney disease, such as those with high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, heart disease or a family history of kidney disease, to seek regular check-ups even if they feel well. Kidneys that are left untreated and do not function properly can fail, leading to the need for dialysis or a transplant.”
Nationally, there are nearly 7000 patients on the kidney transplant waiting list and the average waiting time to get a transplant from this source is three years. There is a desperate need to increase the supply of kidneys for transplantation from both living and deceased donors.
People who are interested in joining the Organ Donor Register should visit the website (link below)
Associated links