Beware the silent killer of chronic kidney disease – M’sian Society of Nephrology

[superadmin]

The gift of kidney transplant – ‘Kidney Health for All’

THIS year’s World Kidney Day theme of ‘Kidney Health for All’ puts forth a global call for people to not only be aware of kidney disease, but to actively know what their own kidney health measures are. The 2022 campaign focuses on efforts to increase education and awareness about kidney health and on reducing the high chronic kidney disease (CKD) knowledge gap at all levels of kidney care.

Finding the life-saving puzzle piece
Dr Rosnawati Yahya, who is a leading specialist for kidney transplants in Malaysia, states that typically kidney transplant patients have the ability to live longer with a much better quality of life when compared to patients who opt for dialysis treatment. “Patients who are on haemodialysis usually need to go for their sessions around three times a week and use up nearly four hours of their time just to receive the treatment. This process is both tiring and costly,” she explains.

To better understand the actual process of undergoing a kidney transplant, Dr Rosnawati explains that finding a healthy kidney is usually a family affair. “When we broach the subject of looking for suitable donors, we will first seek out the patient’s parents or siblings, as more often than not, they will be the best match. If that is not accessible, we look toward their extended family. If we still can’t find anyone suitable from the immediate family, we try to reach out to in-laws, spouses, or even grandparents,” she elaborates. 

- More -