From Nephrology News, by LANA SCHMIDT, MBA
We have an epidemic in the United States—a shortage of kidneys. But older patients and those who have been on dialysis a long time waiting for a kidney are least likely to receive a deceased donor kidney transplant with the new kidney allocation system.
At 57 years old and over 13 years on dialysis when the new Kidney Allocation System was implemented last year, I immediately dropped significantly from the top percent of the list. Years on dialysis is no longer a factor in moving candidates up the list, in fact, it is the exact opposite. Years on dialysis now only is considered if there is a tie for a kidney. With KAS’s new goals of matching kidneys with similar age recipients and the effort to maximize the life of a kidney, it has reduced the chances of a deceased donor transplant for those over 50 and who have been on dialysis a long time waiting for a kidney.
Preliminary study suggests new rules also increased transplantation rates for adults under 50 but significantly lowers them in those over 50. More
The Kidney Allocation System new calculation, “Estimated Post Transplant Survival (EPTS)” score is assigned to all adult transplant candidates on the waiting list. If a candidate has a score of 20% or above then the transplant candidate will be eligible for available kidneys rated in the top 20% by KDPI (Kidney Donor Risk Index) calculation.
KAS’s new calculation method EPTS of prioritizing candidates for a kidney transplant is faulty in many ways.
In summary, the EPTS assumes a kidney will last longer with a candidate that is 35 years and younger compared to those 50 years and older, and it assumes that those who have been on dialysis a long time waiting for a kidney are least likely to keep a kidney for a long time. Also the EPTS calculation does not include proper criteria for determining a persons’ state of health.
Although this new system cannot be defined as “age-matching,” age is one major factor being used to determine transplant candidates’ placement on the waitlist. As a kidney dialysis patient waiting on the transplant list, it is hard to believe there is “age discrimination” in receiving a kidney transplant in the U.S.
Each day that I get older and each day that I am on dialysis, I get further away from receiving a deceased donor kidney.
Patients can go to OPTN website to see if they fall in the top 20% of donor recipients. If they do they will be eligible for available kidneys rated in the top rated 20%.
Finding a Kidney
From Fox TV 5 Atlanta, Athens, Georgia, by Katie Muse
Athens Chick-fil-A Rallies around Manager in Need of Kidney
Employees at an Athens Chick-fil-A are rallying together to help their coworker find a new kidney.
Shelley Kurasaka, 39, has been diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease, which is a genetic disease in which cysts grow on the kidneys and eventually cause them to fail. She will soon be in need of dialysis as her kidney function continues to drop.
The Snellville native moved to Athens two years ago when she was offered a position as a manager at the Chick-fil-A on Epps Bridge Parkway. That’s how FOX 5 first learned about Kurasaka’s story. Some of her coworkers took to social media and shared a post pleading for prayers and a kidney donor on the restaurant's Facebook page.
Kurasaka’s kidneys are failing and she’s been accepted as a transplant candidate at the Emory University Transplant Center. Kurasaka said since May, there has been a significant decline in her kidney function.
“I have placed my future in God’s hands and trust that He will lead someone to come forward and graciously provide this gift of life,” she said.
Kurasaka wants to continue leading an active and involved life with her family and friends and said a new kidney would allow her to do so.
“I want to continue my great career at Chick-fil-A in Athens,” she said. “I also believe that God has called me to be a good steward and to serve others. I am involved with the local food bank because it is dear to my heart and I want to continue serving as God leads.”
On Tuesday, Kurasaka and her fellow coworkers gathered at Chick-fil-A and took photos with Georgia-based photographer Brandy Angel, who started Be the Change -- Brandy Angel Foundation. Angel helps those in need by sharing their images and stories with the world through social media.
Concern over ‘significant decline’ in kidney transplants from living donors
THE IRISH KIDNEY Association has expressed its disappointment in the decrease of transplants carried out in 2015.
In 2014, there were 112 deceased kidney transplants from 63 donors. In 2015, there were 81 donors and 120 deceased kidney transplants.
The IKA said this represents “a significant decline in utilisation of available kidneys”.
“It is evident that this will require further investigation to understand exactly why this has come about. For the first time in the modern living donor kidney transplant programme fewer kidney transplants were performed than the previous year,” a statement noted.
There were a total of 153 kidney transplants performed in 2015, down from the 2011 peak of 192 kidney transplants.
A statement released by Health Minister Leo Varadkar this evening said there were 266 transplants carried out in 2015, an increase of 15 on the previous year.
“This includes overall increases in kidney (deceased and living donor combined), lung and liver transplants and the first ever combined heart and lung transplant. I want to welcome this progress and acknowledge the work of our health service staff who made this improvement possible,” Varadkar said.
From Pasadena Star-News, by Courtney Tompkins
New San Gabriel dialysis center opponents score victory as council denies project
San Gabriel City Council rejected a proposed development project at the corner of Las Tunas and Country Club drives, near the San Gabriel Country Club. The now vacant site, pictured Jan. 4, 2016, formerly housed a used-car dealership. Photo by Leo Jarzomb/Pasadena Star-News
City officials on Tuesday overturned an approved development project contested by neighbors who felt it would bring unwanted noise and traffic to an affluent neighborhood near the San Gabriel Country Club.
The item brought hundreds of people to City Hall on Tuesday, and members of the city police and fire departments were turning people away at the door because the chambers were filled to capacity.
Mayor Jason Pu said the project, as proposed, was not consistent with the city’s general plan goals nor was it a good fit for that lot or the surrounding neighborhood. The council voted 4-1 against the project.
“We went through each of the elements that needed to be found in order to uphold the two conditional use permits, and on a pretty fair number of those, the council as a whole could not reach the findings required,” Pu said.
THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT
The project, first approved by the Planning Commission in November, would have been a 12,285-square-foot kidney dialysis center on the corner of Las Tunas and Country Club drives.
The applicant, Dr. Priya Sakhrani, requested two variances, one for the building’s size because it was larger than 10,000 square feet and the other for a 20 percent reduction in the required number of parking spaces.
Sakhrani, who owns and operates Quality Dialysis, a similar facility on San Gabriel Boulevard, said he was disappointed with the decision and surprised by the council’s vote.
“They chose to ignore the commission, ignore their own staff, ignore the surveillance videos and parking study, and instead listen to anectdotal evidence,” he said. “These residents of Country Club Drive, they feel that they are priveleged and the selfish concern about someone parking outside their homes is frivolous.”
THE ISSUES RAISED BY RESIDENTS
The concerns raised by residents revolved primarily around the business’ proposed operating hours, which would have been between 4 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Neighbors said they were concerned about the noise from over a dozen people coming and going early in the morning and late at night in addition to concerns over parking on the street as a result of the requested parking reduction.
Attorney Charles D. Cummings, who appealed the commission’s decision on behalf of about 100 residents and business owners, called the decision a “big victory” for the neighborhood.
“I think the City Council listened to the arguments and to the residents,” he said. “I also think they were really taken with the fact that there had been a parking study done, but there was also evidence that the study had been manipulated.”
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PARKING STUDY
Residents presented photographs to the council that had been taken one week after the parking study was done, showing the parking lot at Sakhrani’s other facility filled nearly to capacity and it has 41 parking spots, in contrast to the proposed facility, which was designed with 28 spaces.
Cummings alleged the employees parked on the street during the week of the parking study to make it appear emptier.
Sakhrani dismissed any allegations the study was manipulated and said the evidence was unsubstantiated. He also questioned why Planning Commissioner Camelia Vera spoke in opposition to the project during public comments, but did not identify herself as a member of the board.
Vera, who voted against the project in November, spoke Tuesday as a member of the community, she said.
City staff will bring back a resolution detailing the council’s findings at its next regularly scheduled meeting on Jan. 19.
At 57 years old and over 13 years on dialysis when the new Kidney Allocation System was implemented last year, I immediately dropped significantly from the top percent of the list. Years on dialysis is no longer a factor in moving candidates up the list, in fact, it is the exact opposite. Years on dialysis now only is considered if there is a tie for a kidney. With KAS’s new goals of matching kidneys with similar age recipients and the effort to maximize the life of a kidney, it has reduced the chances of a deceased donor transplant for those over 50 and who have been on dialysis a long time waiting for a kidney.
Preliminary study suggests new rules also increased transplantation rates for adults under 50 but significantly lowers them in those over 50. More
The Kidney Allocation System new calculation, “Estimated Post Transplant Survival (EPTS)” score is assigned to all adult transplant candidates on the waiting list. If a candidate has a score of 20% or above then the transplant candidate will be eligible for available kidneys rated in the top 20% by KDPI (Kidney Donor Risk Index) calculation.
KAS’s new calculation method EPTS of prioritizing candidates for a kidney transplant is faulty in many ways.
In summary, the EPTS assumes a kidney will last longer with a candidate that is 35 years and younger compared to those 50 years and older, and it assumes that those who have been on dialysis a long time waiting for a kidney are least likely to keep a kidney for a long time. Also the EPTS calculation does not include proper criteria for determining a persons’ state of health.
Although this new system cannot be defined as “age-matching,” age is one major factor being used to determine transplant candidates’ placement on the waitlist. As a kidney dialysis patient waiting on the transplant list, it is hard to believe there is “age discrimination” in receiving a kidney transplant in the U.S.
Each day that I get older and each day that I am on dialysis, I get further away from receiving a deceased donor kidney.
Patients can go to OPTN website to see if they fall in the top 20% of donor recipients. If they do they will be eligible for available kidneys rated in the top rated 20%.
Finding a Kidney
From Fox TV 5 Atlanta, Athens, Georgia, by Katie Muse
Athens Chick-fil-A Rallies around Manager in Need of Kidney
Shelley Kurasaka, 39, has been diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease, which is a genetic disease in which cysts grow on the kidneys and eventually cause them to fail. She will soon be in need of dialysis as her kidney function continues to drop.
The Snellville native moved to Athens two years ago when she was offered a position as a manager at the Chick-fil-A on Epps Bridge Parkway. That’s how FOX 5 first learned about Kurasaka’s story. Some of her coworkers took to social media and shared a post pleading for prayers and a kidney donor on the restaurant's Facebook page.
Kurasaka’s kidneys are failing and she’s been accepted as a transplant candidate at the Emory University Transplant Center. Kurasaka said since May, there has been a significant decline in her kidney function.
“I have placed my future in God’s hands and trust that He will lead someone to come forward and graciously provide this gift of life,” she said.
Kurasaka wants to continue leading an active and involved life with her family and friends and said a new kidney would allow her to do so.
“I want to continue my great career at Chick-fil-A in Athens,” she said. “I also believe that God has called me to be a good steward and to serve others. I am involved with the local food bank because it is dear to my heart and I want to continue serving as God leads.”
On Tuesday, Kurasaka and her fellow coworkers gathered at Chick-fil-A and took photos with Georgia-based photographer Brandy Angel, who started Be the Change -- Brandy Angel Foundation. Angel helps those in need by sharing their images and stories with the world through social media.
Kidney Donor Decline
From The Journal, Ireland
THE IRISH KIDNEY Association has expressed its disappointment in the decrease of transplants carried out in 2015.
In 2014, there were 112 deceased kidney transplants from 63 donors. In 2015, there were 81 donors and 120 deceased kidney transplants.
The IKA said this represents “a significant decline in utilisation of available kidneys”.
“It is evident that this will require further investigation to understand exactly why this has come about. For the first time in the modern living donor kidney transplant programme fewer kidney transplants were performed than the previous year,” a statement noted.
There were a total of 153 kidney transplants performed in 2015, down from the 2011 peak of 192 kidney transplants.
A statement released by Health Minister Leo Varadkar this evening said there were 266 transplants carried out in 2015, an increase of 15 on the previous year.
“This includes overall increases in kidney (deceased and living donor combined), lung and liver transplants and the first ever combined heart and lung transplant. I want to welcome this progress and acknowledge the work of our health service staff who made this improvement possible,” Varadkar said.
Dialysis News: Location, Location, Location
San Gabriel City Council rejected a proposed development project at the corner of Las Tunas and Country Club drives, near the San Gabriel Country Club. The now vacant site, pictured Jan. 4, 2016, formerly housed a used-car dealership. Photo by Leo Jarzomb/Pasadena Star-News
The item brought hundreds of people to City Hall on Tuesday, and members of the city police and fire departments were turning people away at the door because the chambers were filled to capacity.
Mayor Jason Pu said the project, as proposed, was not consistent with the city’s general plan goals nor was it a good fit for that lot or the surrounding neighborhood. The council voted 4-1 against the project.
“We went through each of the elements that needed to be found in order to uphold the two conditional use permits, and on a pretty fair number of those, the council as a whole could not reach the findings required,” Pu said.
THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT
The project, first approved by the Planning Commission in November, would have been a 12,285-square-foot kidney dialysis center on the corner of Las Tunas and Country Club drives.
The applicant, Dr. Priya Sakhrani, requested two variances, one for the building’s size because it was larger than 10,000 square feet and the other for a 20 percent reduction in the required number of parking spaces.
Sakhrani, who owns and operates Quality Dialysis, a similar facility on San Gabriel Boulevard, said he was disappointed with the decision and surprised by the council’s vote.
“They chose to ignore the commission, ignore their own staff, ignore the surveillance videos and parking study, and instead listen to anectdotal evidence,” he said. “These residents of Country Club Drive, they feel that they are priveleged and the selfish concern about someone parking outside their homes is frivolous.”
THE ISSUES RAISED BY RESIDENTS
The concerns raised by residents revolved primarily around the business’ proposed operating hours, which would have been between 4 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Neighbors said they were concerned about the noise from over a dozen people coming and going early in the morning and late at night in addition to concerns over parking on the street as a result of the requested parking reduction.
Attorney Charles D. Cummings, who appealed the commission’s decision on behalf of about 100 residents and business owners, called the decision a “big victory” for the neighborhood.
“I think the City Council listened to the arguments and to the residents,” he said. “I also think they were really taken with the fact that there had been a parking study done, but there was also evidence that the study had been manipulated.”
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PARKING STUDY
Residents presented photographs to the council that had been taken one week after the parking study was done, showing the parking lot at Sakhrani’s other facility filled nearly to capacity and it has 41 parking spots, in contrast to the proposed facility, which was designed with 28 spaces.
Cummings alleged the employees parked on the street during the week of the parking study to make it appear emptier.
Sakhrani dismissed any allegations the study was manipulated and said the evidence was unsubstantiated. He also questioned why Planning Commissioner Camelia Vera spoke in opposition to the project during public comments, but did not identify herself as a member of the board.
Vera, who voted against the project in November, spoke Tuesday as a member of the community, she said.
City staff will bring back a resolution detailing the council’s findings at its next regularly scheduled meeting on Jan. 19.
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