How To Transfer To A New Kidney Transplant Center

Changing kidney transplant centers can help if you want to cut your wait for a kidney or to expedite the process to surgery

. For patients who need to wait for a kidney from a deceased donor the average time is 25 months. This is the average wait time across all transplant centers and across all patients. In fact, some patients wait longer than 5 years. The wait time is different from center to center and transferring to a center with a shorter wait can cut your wait time in half. Transferring to a different center can also help if you have a living donor and you are experiencing difficulties during evaluation.

How to do it

1. Make sure your status is active: Even if you have been told that you are on a kidney transplant center's waiting list, you have to make sure your status is still active. Many patients' status turns to inactive either because of changes in their health or because the transplant center tried to contact them but could not. Patients who are inactive cannot get a kidney transplant. Therefore, confirm your active status.

2. Find centers with shorter waiting lists: The waiting time for a kidney can vary from 17 to 41 months depending on the kidney transplant center.Centers with shorter waiting times are able to receive more kidney donors. They may also have less patients waiting. Because of either or both of these reasons their waiting list is shorter.

3. Discuss the transfer with your doctor: Transferring to a new kidney transplant center means that you have to go through the referral process again. Your doctor and/or dialysis clinic will have to submit your medical history to the new kidney transplant center and recommend you for a kidney transplant. Ask your doctor for a second referral to the new center. Discuss your medical history with your doctor and ask if there is anything that could prevent you from getting on the list at the other center.

4. Contact the new center: Ask them if they accept the evaluation tests and results from the center you are already listed at or whether they require that you go through evaluation again at their hospital.

5. Coordinate if necessary: If your new center accepts some or all of your evaluation test results from your first center, make sure that the files are sent and received on time. Communicate with both transplant coordinators since files can get lost.

6. Check for insurance coverage: Call your insurance and find out if they will pay for the new evaluation tests and how much. Make sure you can cover the co-payments. Also, take into account any travel and accommodation expenses if the new kidney transplant center you want to transfer to is further from home.

7. Get evaluated again: The new center will most likely want to evaluate you and your donor (if you have a living donor). Going through the dozens of evaluation tests twice or more is exhausting. Make checklists with what each center asks you to do so that you can track your progress, and save copies of tests at all centers to avoid delays because of lost files.

8. Don't remove yourself from the first center's list: Staying on the list at more than one center gives you access to more kidneys. This is called "multiple listing" and it improves your chance of getting a kidney faster.

9. Rely on your family and friends: Taking these steps to transfer to a second kidney transplant center or "multiple list" is not an easy road. Coordinating more than one centers plus your doctor is complex and time- consuming. The support of your family or close friends can make all the difference. Have someone with you at all your appointments.

by: Constantia Petrou

POST COMMENT

Receiving A New Identity Call Your New York Dentist Before The Plastic Surgeon Cone Crusher Energy Saving And Environmental Protection Is A Good Helper Mais Un Chapeau Panama Toujours Se Casquette New Era Enjoy Some New Dishes At Vong Wong Restaurant In Mumbai Isshared Office Space For Rent Right For Your New Business? Buy A Quality Starter Whether It Is New Or Remanufactured Edinburgh: The Perfect Place To Find A New Home Tips To Energy-saving For Your Pool Pumps Find New Books Quickly And Effortlessly Online Bd Compliance New York For Your Safe Business Activities What New Releases Are Coming For The Nintendo Wii What Are The Reasons To Use Renewable Energy?