Maryland's Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Winter 2013 - (Page 12)

DISCOVER TODAY HOW YOU COULD SAVE A LIFE To ﬁnd out how to become a living donor or for more information on the University of Maryland Medical Center kidney transplant program, go to umm.edu/transplant. Or call 410-328-5408. non-directed donor, donates a kidney, the potential to help more patients is greater. Instead of just one person beneﬁting from the person's donation, it can kick off a chain that will allow many incompatible pairs to be matched and transplanted. "It is a complex process that requires a lot of coordination, but we abide by the national standards of evaluation and safety of living donation to ensure outstanding outcomes," says Dr. Leeser. "Because of Paired Kidney Exchange, we have transplanted many patients who have been waiting for years for a matching donor." INNOVATIONS IN TRANSPLANT As one of the busiest transplant centers in the country, University of Maryland Medical Center is at the forefront of developing ways to shorten wait times through the innovative use of living donation options like the Paired Kidney Exchange program, as well as deceased-donor kidneys. "In some cases, we are able to accept cadaveric kidneys that fall outside of conventional standards-they're called expanded criteria donor [ECD] kidneys," says Jonathan Bromberg, MD, PhD, professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and chief of the Division Jonathan Bromberg, MD, PhD of Transplantation at University of Maryland Medical Center. "It may be that the donor is older or has controlled hypertension, or the kidneys may be from a pediatric donor." ECD kidneys undergo a thorough evaluation. Studies have shown that the risks of accepting an KIDNEY CARE CLOSE TO HOME The partnership between Upper Chesapeake Health and University of Maryland Medical Center continues to provide exciting new health care treatment opportunities for our community. Collaboration is underway to begin a preand postoperative kidney transplant program. Similar to the lung transplant program initiated in 2010, the kidney transplant program will offer consultations with worldrenowned University of Maryland Medical Center kidney transplant surgeons, right here at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center (UCMC). A University of Maryland Medical Center kidney transplant surgeon and other members of the multidisciplinary transplant team will evaluate patients who may be candidates for a kidney transplant and have been referred by their physicians. The one-day assessment not only includes testing such as blood work but also offers information and education about the transplant process. Individuals deemed appropriate for a transplant will ultimately have surgery at University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. After recovery, however, they have the option to have most of their follow-up testing and appointments closer to home at UCMC in Bel Air. By offering this program at UCMC, kidney transplant patients in our community have the opportunity to have world-class care close to home. ECD kidney are far less than remaining on dialysis long term. "Our goal is to get people off the kidney transplant waiting list and back to living a full life," says Dr. Bromberg. Which means any day, any month, any time is the right time to consider organ donation and CALL FOR INFORMATION For more information about the Upper Chesapeake Health kidney or lung transplant programs, call 443-643-2327. saving a life.  UCH is sponsoring an upcoming blood drive from 12:30-6 p.m. with the American Red Cross, http://www.umm.edu/transplant

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maryland's Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Winter 2013

Maryland's Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Winter 2013
Contents
A Healthy Start
Head Strong
Weighing Your Options
A Lifesaving Gift
At a Glance
News and Events

Maryland's Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Winter 2013