When Tom Packard began suffering from kidney failure, his fiancee offered to give him one of her kidneys. But Packard, a 65-year-old Manhattan bank executive, and Ann Heavner, 59, weren't a compatible match. After two more donors fell through, the couple showed up in the office of Dr. Lloyd Ratner, director of renal and pancreatic transplantation at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. Ratner punched a few keywords into his personal database and found a 71-year-old New Jersey man who could use Heavner's kidney—and whose 62-year-old wife could give hers to Packard.Technorati Tags: Kidneys, Transplantation, Kidney Transplantation, Columbia University Medical Center
So, the two couples made a deal. Last spring, in four operating rooms, four surgeons simultaneously conducted what's known as a "kidney swap." All four patients have recovered. Last month, they spent Thanksgiving together.
I'm Dr. Joshua Schwimmer, a nephrologist in New York City. • Kidney Notes was the first active nephrology blog, and The National Library of Medicine still uses Kidney Notes as an example of how to formally cite blogs in the medical literature. • Professionally, you can find me at Kidney.nyc. • Kidney Notes is for educational purposes only, not medical advice. Consult qualified health care professionals. See disclaimer.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Couples Who Cross-Donate Kidneys
Via Slate: