About the Transplant Center
Miami Valley Hospital (MVH) Transplant Center is a new name for a department with a long history. Kidney transplants have been performed at MVH Transplant Center since 1970. We transplanted 35 kidneys in 2006, and have transplanted more than 800 kidneys since 1970. We are evaluating expanding our services to include liver and pancreas transplants.
The brand new MVH Transplant Center and Kidney Dialysis Unit is located on the third floor in the west wing of MVH. The facility is an integrated center, with all aspects of the kidney program in one space. Surgeons, nephrologists, nurses, coordinators, dietitians, social workers, and administration are all in one central location to focus on your care.
MVH Transplant Center provides both experience and new technology. This small, intimate program offers substantial history and experience.
Dialysis Unit
The MVH Dialysis Unit has nine treatment stations, each with a comfortable recliner chair and a flat screen TV. The stations have large windows with a view of the Dayton skyline. Soft hues of the decor and warm woodwork add to the soothing atmosphere. The environment is designed to reduce stress and make the process of dialysis as pleasant as possible for you.
Receiving a Kidney
To receive a kidney, you must get on the "list." The nephrologist will request for you to be evaluated to make sure you fit the requirements for transplant. Then, a second, more detailed evaluation occurs, which may take six weeks before you are listed. The average wait for a kidney in Dayton is 18 months. Other centers can have a five-year wait. The average list length for Dayton is 90-100 people. By comparison, the University of Michigan may have 500 on their list.
There are 58 organ procurement organizations approved nationally. Our local organization is Life Connection of Ohio, which serves Dayton and Toledo. When an organ is retrieved locally, patients in Dayton or Toledo are considered first. If something is not available locally, then the scope of the search goes regional for a kidney elsewhere in the state and the adjacent five states. If a kidney can't be found regionally, then a national search is made. If a six-antigen match is found (a perfect match) the kidney is delivered to the matching patient, wherever he or she may be. Due to compatibility, only 10 percent of those who need a transplant are eligible .
Only one of a donor’s two kidneys is transplanted into a patient, so a deceased donor can save two lives. Organs donated
by a deceased family member or by living donors are not added to the transplant list, so that the patient can receive the organ immediately.
Obesity and Kidney Disease
Kidney failure is on the rise in America. This is the mostly the result of an increase in obesity. Obesity leads to an increase in diabetes and hypertension, both of which can lead to kidney disease.
Here are the statistics:
Kidney Disease: A total of 20 million (one in nine) Americans have chronic kidney disease and another 20 million are at risk. With the increase in conditions that contribute to kidney disease, these numbers are expected to grow.
Obesity: Obesity is now officially listed as a disease according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's the second leading preventable cause of death, behind smoking. As fewer people smoke tobacco and more people become obese, we may hit a point where obesity becomes number one. In 2006 there were 365,000 deaths in the U.S. related to obesity or conditions caused by obesity. Sixty percent of American adults are overweight, as are 37 percent of adolescents. More than 16 million are currently morbidly obese. The World Health Organization has declared obesity to be a global epidemic.
Diabetes: Approximately 20.8 million Americans suffer from diabetes. That is 7 percent of the population. Another 20 million are considered at risk. Of the new cases being diagnosed, almost 50 percent are in the 40 to 59 age group. This makes diabetes the sixth leading cause of death in America. It is more likely to affect Native Americans, African Americans, and Hispanic Americans than Caucasians. Type 2 Diabetes accounts for 90 percent to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. While age plays a factor, more often than not, diabetes is brought on with obesity. It can't be cured, but many times the symptoms will diminish with weight loss.
Hypertension: About 16 percent of new cases of end stage renal disease or renal failure are from high blood pressure. A total of 73 percent of diabetics have high blood pressure. By contrast, 18 percent of the U.S. population, or 50 million people have high blood pressure. This incidence increases with age: 50 percent of men age 55 to 64 have it, 57 percent of women age 55 to 64 have it. It is more a male issue to age 55 and more a female issue after 55. A total of 46 people in the U.S. die from hypertension every day.