| Join AAKP! |
 | | Check Out the New Features of AAKP
My Health™ |  |
AAKP My Health™ now offers new features to help users take charge of their health care. Users can now:
· Receive appointment reminders by email
· Print emergency contact cards
AAKP My Health™ is a free, unique section of the AAKP website, www.aakp.org, that provides you with online tools to be the leader in your health care. With AAKP My Health™, you can:
· Track your lab results
· Log your medications
· List your healthcare team members
· Prepare information for doctor visits
· Test your kidney knowledge
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Live in the L.A. area? Come take a lifesaving step at the National Kidney Foundation's Inaugural Los Angeles Kidney Walk on Oct. 16th at the Rose Bowl.
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| Facts About Kidney Transplantation for Pediatric Patients |
Kidney transplant is the preferred treatment for kidney failure in children. It provides the best way for the child to lead a normal and healthy life. Many, but not all, of the steps to assess the child for kidney transplant are the same as those for adults.  Most children with kidney failure are referred for transplantation by their pediatric nephrologists, and in most cases the children are eligible a for kidney transplant. Some are not because of medical reasons such as a severe heart or lung disease. Another example could be a bad infection such as HIV. Furthermore, children will qualify for transplants when their kidney function falls below 20. About 55 percent of children get their kidney from one of their parents. Either parent is already half matched for a special protein on white blood cells that can tell the risk of rejection. The better the match, the less likely the body will reject the transplant. The other 45 percent of children will be placed on the deceased donor waiting list at their transplant center. Click here to learn more about kidney transplant for children. |
Still Time to Register for the AAKP Annual Convention!
 AAKP's 37th Annual Convention is right around the corner and there's still time to submit your registration! This year, the Convention takes place Sept. 2 - 4 at the Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina in Tampa, FL, and features new and exciting educational sessions, fun social events and much more.
Full Convention packages start at $90 for patients and family members, and one-day registrations are also available for $25 per day. The Convention package includes three days of educational sessions, a tote bag, souvenir t-shirt and tickets to the First-Time Attendees' Luncheon, Welcoming Ceremonies, and Annual Banquet. The deadline for advanced registration is August 16. Registrations postmarked after August 16 are subject to a $25 late fee. For more information about the Annual Convention, visit the AAKP website or call (800) 749-AAKP. | |
| New Allocation Formula Could Prevent Waste and Transplant Delays | Only a small fraction of transplant centers nationwide are willing to accept and transplant deceased-donor kidneys that they perceive as less than perfect, leading to lengthy, organ-damaging delays as officials use a one-by-one approach to find a willing taker. Johns Hopkins researchers have designed a formula they say can predict which donor kidneys are most likely to be caught in that process, a method that could potentially stop thousands of usable kidneys each year from being discarded because it took too long for them to be transplanted. Previous studies have shown such kidneys can extend the life of certain dialysis patients, if allocated and transplanted in a timely manner.
The researchers who developed the formula, published in the American Journal of Transplantation, say they hope it will be used to speed up the organ allocation process for hard-to-place kidneys and improve transplant outcomes nationwide. Hard-to-place kidneys are generally those from older donors, those with a history of smoking, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, hepatitis C or high-risk behavior such as intravenous drug users, but previous studies show for many recipients they work well, save lives, and are superior to longer waits for patients on dialysis. |
| Education Programs Increase Number of Minority Organ and Tissue Donors |
Minority organ donations have more than doubled since the institution of grassroots awareness and education programs, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. In 2010, the percentage of minority donors is expected to reach 35 percent, up from approximately 15 percent in 1990. Since the first organ transplant in 1954, the shortage of organ donors has been the number one problem in transplantation. Organ shortages have been most acute among minorities, especially in the African American population. Organ shortage is an issue because minorities continue to constitute more than half of the patients on the kidney transplant waiting list (African Americans - 34 percent, Hispanic/Latinos - 18 percent, Asian - 8 percent). In addition, it is estimated that each kidney donor provides $135,000 in medical cost savings per patient, a savings of more than $200 million that would be associated with a 35 percent minority donor rate. |
| CE Credits Available for Health Care Professionals |
AAKP is pleased to offer continuing education (CE) credits to registered nurses, dietitians, licensed social workers and nursing home administrators who attend the 2010 Annual Convention in Tampa, Fla. This year's program is held at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina, Sept. 2 - 4. Convention registrations for health care professionals begin at only $190 for a full registration package or only $50 for one day registrations. For more information on the AAKP Convention, CE credits or to download a Convention Registration Brochure, please visit www.aakp.org/events/convention/2010. Deadline for early registration is August 16. |
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Surgeons Study Safety of New, Less Invasive Technique for Kidney Donation | Surgeons at The Methodist Hospital in Houston are studying a new way to make kidney donation safer, less invasive and almost scar free for women by using a new technique that removes kidneys transvaginally. If surgeons first prove this new technique is safe for the organ recipient, they will use it to remove the kidney from the donor, making recovery much easier. The technique is a new type of surgery called natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), in which surgeons use a natural opening in the body to minimize pain and scarring. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), more than 60 percent of living kidney donors are female.
The current technique of laparoscopic, minimally invasive kidney removal reduces side effects caused by open surgery. However, even with a minimally invasive technique, the incision is large enough to cause the pain, hernias and wound infections seen with open surgery. Currently, kidney donors undergo a laparoscopic operation during which the surgeon prepares the kidney for removal by working through three ¼-inch incisions. However, when it comes time to remove the kidney, a larger three- to four-inch incision must be made for the extraction. The larger incision is the source for most of the pain and scarring. Removing the kidney transvaginally - where there are relatively few pain fibers - could result in a nearly painless operation with no extraction scar. |
| As a Transplant Patient, Should I Avoid Professional Massages or Tanning Beds? | |
The availability of massage treatments as well as facilities offering services such as tanning have grown throughout the United States along with the increased number of patients who have been treated with organ transplants. Massage and tanning practices may vary from place to place, and in some cases may even be available in the home. So, the question of using such services after an organ transplant may be on the minds of many patients and families.
Enjoyment of normal activities is one of the great blessings of a functioning organ transplant and patients should be encouraged to pursue active lifestyles to the fullest extent possible. Therefore, enjoying a professionally rendered massage may be fine, and enjoying outdoor activities with ample use of sunscreen and proper head cover and clothing also should be encouraged. However, we shouldn't encourage treatment or activity, which might mask signs or symptoms of genuine difficulty or harm the transplant recipient. If you want to read more, please check out the AAKP website. |
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