Connect
New Transplant Blog Posts
Hello everyone,
We hope this finds everyone well today! We have started this discussion today to announce a new blog post. Every week, we will reply to this discussion to let you know when something new is published. Watch for new information often!
Have a productive and enjoyable week!
- Kristin
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Transplants Support Group.
Connect
@cmael How wonderful! If you don't mind revealing this, how old are you? Sending prayers for good health and blessings for you and your daughter.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionThank you! I’m 75, although that number always seems a bit of a shock to me :). I’m sure others near my age feel the same way.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 Reactions@cmael, Awesome! You are a wonderful example of the beauty of living kidney donation.
@cmael, Your daughter needs a "Hero" t-shirt!
Yes, she does!
@cmael as we chronologically age we are still young at heart, so yes it is a shock to think we are now of an age we once thought of as old! I always am amused when I see a TV story and they refer to a person who may just be in their 60s as “elderly”. I am not ready to think of myself that way!
@cmael - What is the cut off age wise to receive a kidney transplant and who set that age? Is the only way you can get a transplant above the cut off age if you have a living donor, or a related donor?
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionFrom what I understand, they don’t really set an age limit for a living donor transplant. They judge each case individually, depending on health and fitness. As far as getting on a list, I think the cut off is around 70. I was told but don’t remember exactly.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@IWantToBelieve - We covered this topic on our blog back in July. Take a look as I think it will answer some of your questions. https://connect.mayoclinic.org/newsfeed-post/is-there-a-cut-off-age-for-kidney-transplant/
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 Reactions@cmael I've encountered this issue several times over the years. In 2003 my father-in-law needed a kidney transplant. He was listed but we ended up finding a living kidney donor. Both my daughters were tested. They both matched and were potential donors. They decided which one would move forward with donation and which one would wait and pursue donation for me. I have CKD. When they had their transplant my father-in-law was 76 and my daughter was 19.
Now I'm 61 with stage IV CKD. I am listed and also looking for a living kidney donor. I'm becoming more aware and concerned about age restrictions pertaining to donors and recipients. Over the past 2 years of looking for a living donor only a few people have stepped up with willingness to donate. These have been ruled out for a variety of reasons. One was an extended family member cousin who was turned away because she was over the cutoff age to donate. She was told the cutoff is 80 and she was 82 at the time. I know a mother daughter pair who were told the cutoff is 75. Someone else was told 70. Another was told 60. A potential recipient was delisted for being 58. And so on .....
I was disturbed and frustrated by the lack of consistency so I asked the team at my transplant center (Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN). I was referred to the Transplant Toolkit which also had different answers plus varying providers' answers as well.
The bottom line is that there are national/federal guidelines but individual transplant centers may have different rules, regulations, protocols and criteria. At Mayo each case is dealt with individually. A whole host of factors are taken into consideration (age is only one of them) when evaluating donors and recipients for transplant. Patients are treated like unique people not numbers. This is something I appreciate and trust about Mayo.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction