Nonconformist Hopkins surgeon a leader in kidney transplants
If you haven't already, take a look at the fascinating profile of Hopkins kidney transplant surgeon Dr. Robert A. Montgomery that ran in Sunday's Baltimore Sun. Written by our colleague Arthur Hirsch, it's a great tale that mixes vivid description of Montgomery's nonconformist ways with the science behind the multi-way kidney transplants that he's become known for.
Known as kidney-paired donations, the transplants go beyond a mere two-way organ swap. These transplants create a chain of donors and recipients often in multiple hospitals in various locations around the country. Hopkins has been doing the swaps since 2001, and today they're duplicated at other big medical institutions as a way to make more kidneys available to more recipients. With more than 89,000 people waiting for kidneys in the U.S., it's a life-saving strategy. The story explains:
Simply put, kidney paired donation is a way to get around the problem that arises when a donor is not a good match for the intended recipient. What then? Then the names of donors and recipients, along with their blood and tissue types, are fed into a computer database in hopes of finding better matches. Sometimes those matches are with strangers thousands of miles away. In a simple two-way swap, for instance, the donor in pair A gives to the recipient in pair B and vice-versa. The more pairs in the database, the more possible matches.
A donation "chain" is a bit different. This would start with one donor giving a kidney to no one in particular, setting in motion a succession of donor-recipient couplings. At the end, a kidney would be left that could start another chain or go to a patient on the list for a kidney from a deceased donor.
And that's just the medical stuff. The piece is chock-full of Montgomery fun facts: He's married to internationally renowned opera star Denyce Graves, with whom he appears to share a love for the dramatic. He drives a white Shelby Cobra with a blue stripe down the middle. And as early as forth grade his teacher noted: "Bobby doesn't think the rules apply to him." Oh yeah, and there's that mustache!
Baltimore Sun photo
Comments
Your story about Dr. Robert A. Montgomery and Kidney-Paired Donations highlighted the tragic shortage of human organs for transplant operations.
Over 50% of the people on the national transplant waiting list will die before they get a transplant. Most of these deaths are needless. Americans bury or cremate 20,000 transplantable organs every year.
There is a simple way to put a big dent in the organ shortage – give donated organs first to people who have agreed to donate their own organs when they die.
Giving organs first to organ donors will convince more people to register as organ donors. It will also make the organ allocation system fairer. People who aren't willing to share the gift of life should go to the back of the waiting list as long as there is a shortage of organs.
Anyone who wants to donate their organs to others who have agreed to donate theirs can join LifeSharers. LifeSharers is a non-profit network of organ donors who agree to offer their organs first to other organ donors when they die. Membership is free at www.lifesharers.org or by calling 1-888-ORGAN88. There is no age limit, parents can enroll their minor children, and no one is excluded due to any pre-existing medical condition. LifeSharers has over 13,900 members at this writing, including 234 members in Maryland.
Please contact me - Dave Undis, Executive Director of LifeSharers - if your readers would like to learn more about our innovative approach to increasing the number of organ donors. I can arrange interviews with some of our local members if you're interested. My email address is daveundis@lifesharers.org. My phone number is 615-351-8622.
Posted by: David J Undis | May 24, 2010 10:41 AM