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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, July 22, 2016 | 12 A look behind the scenes of a kidney transplant: forum by Nathan Howes Special to the Beaver It takes a village to perform a kidney transplant, so Halton Healthcare (HH) held an information session at the Oakville hospital July 12. In partnership with its Renal Program, HH organized the Kidney Transplant Information forum to give renal patients and their families an opportunity to learn more about transplant options and processes and ask questions to four health-care professionals -- Dr. Sanjay Pendaya, HHS nephrologist, Bianca Boarca, Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) hemodialysis nurse, Michelle Snyder, member of Trillium Gift of Life Network's (TGLN) hospital development team, and Sharon Shavel, social worker at St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton ­ and a kidney transplant recipient, Merja Calder. "Professionally, and even personally at times, one of the greatest joys we have in seeing a patient transplant is going from dialysis to having a transplant," said Pendaya, whose presentation focused on what makes up a transplant team, patients' options, the operation and other topics. "Getting to know our patients and seeing them on a weekly basis, you develop that relationship." During the transplant process, a patient will meet numerous health-care professionals to assist them, including doctors, nurses, social workers, co-ordinators, pharmacists, dieticians and surgeons, he noted. "It's a great team effort on this end, along with a team effort, I think, for patients, their families and support system," said Pendaya. Treatments for end-stage renal disease or end-stage kidney disease includes dialysis and transplantation, Pendaya said, which is something "we're mindful of whenever patients are in our clinic, where we can prepare patients for what might happen in their journey." He noted the unadjusted data of survival rates for Canadian patients, aged 55-64, on any type of dialysis is about 50 per cent after five years. Halton Healthcare recently held the Kidney Transplant Information Forum, in partnership with its Renal Program. | photo courtesy Halton Healthcare The graft survival rates, which refers to kidney transplants from living donors (also unadjusted), for Canadian patients aged 55-64 is about 90 per cent after five years. "Even when you adjust for it, there is still a win on transplantation and that shouldn't be surprising. I think everybody understands you have a survival advantage by having a transplant," said Pendaya. When contemplating a procedure, he said you have to weigh the benefits and risks. The benefits include optimistic survival rates, more energy and from a "quality-of-life standpoint, you can do whatever you want." The risks are possible rejection and complications related to medications, mainly short term, and infections, the HHS nephrologist stated. Cancer becomes a possibility over time because medications suppress your immune system, which impacts "everything your immune system does." "It looks for foreign things in your body, which can be bacteria or viruses, but also cells that become a little funny and become precancerous. That's why the risk can be increased," said Pendaya. Boarca said a transplant is not a cure for kidney disease, it's a treatment, which requires a lot of commitment from the patient "along the way and long after." "It means you have to take your medication... and doing the best you can to keep healthy. Don't forget, we're here to help you with the journey," said Boarca. The length of time a patient will wait to receive a kidney depends on how sick they are, how compatible a donor is and the number of available donors, she said. People on the waiting list are put into categories based on blood and tissue type, health status and other medical factors. "When you're active on the wait list, you have to be sure you stay healthy as possible. You have to take your medication, you have to follow your dialysis treatment, if you're on dialysis. Don't skip treatments," said Boarca. "When a kidney becomes available and you're a good match, you will receive a phone call. You will be given instructions on what to do before coming in." Snyder said deceased organ donation is "very rare" -- only about two per cent of those who die in the hospital are eligible to become an organ donor. "You're six times more likely to need an organ than you are to ever become an organ donor. It's a very, very small, rare event," said Snyder, noting one donor can save up to eight lives. "We really do consider all our families and donors heroes because they're giving that gift of life and it truly is a gift." She noted 29 per cent of Ontarians are registered organ donors, while 34 per cent of Halton residents are registered. There are currently more than 1,600 people waiting for a organ transplant in Ontario. "Our goal, as an organization, is to approach every single eligible family at the time of their loved one's death and give that decision back to them," said Snyder. Across HHS' three sites, there have been five organ donors from the intensive care units (ICU), which has saved 20 lives, Snyder noted. "If someone talks to you about donation, we just want you to consider what would be in the best interest of your loved one," said Snyder. Calder received a living kidney transplant from her husband in September 2015. She was diagnosed with kidney disease about 20 years ago, but was experiencing symptoms 10 years prior to that, as a teenager. Calder and her husband proved a "very good match," she said, and there were no signs of rejection. 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