The Kidney/Pancreas Transplant Journey at Hopkins
Entering the Hopkins System
Patients who come to Johns Hopkins receive a thorough evaluation by leading experts in kidney and pancreas disease. Some patients will move immediately toward kidney and/or pancreas transplantation. Others will be able to manage their condition well for months or years before transplantation becomes necessary. To start the process for an evaluation appointment or to request educational materials about transplantation be sent to your home, please call the Kidney/Pancreas Transplant Program Office Intake Coordinator at 410-502-6152.
The Transplant Evaluation
The transplant evaluation begins with a comprehensive appointment during which patients will spend time with the all members of the transplant team. The average time to complete the evaluation process is three months; for some it may be shorter or longer, depending upon the circumstances and/or a complex medical history. Patients can take an active role in moving the evaluation testing along by following through on completing those tests that are needed. Once the evaluation testing is complete, the transplant team meets and reviews all of the testing information. Only once the evaluation is complete can the transplant team tell you if you are eligible (or not eligible) for a transplant.
The Living Donor Option
Some patients have a living person who is willing to offer a kidney to you. Click here to learn more about living donation. If you wish to reach the living donor office for more information or to start the process for a living donor evaluation appointment, please call 410-614-6604.
The Waiting List
If you are eligible for transplantation, Hopkins will immediately put you on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) waiting list. How long one must wait for a kidney depends upon a number of factors, including how well the organ matches, based on blood type and blood antigens, the length of time on the list and whether or not a living person wishes to donate to the patient.
The Surgery
Patients awaiting a deceased donor organ may be called at any time. When the call comes, patients proceed to the Emergency Room to prepare for surgery.
For living donors and recipients, the surgery can be planned. They are asked to come to a preoperative care area the morning of surgery.
The surgery takes about 4 hours, depending on the patient’s medical condition and previous surgeries. After surgery, the patient goes to the surgical intensive care unit (SICU), usually for 24 hours and then to the transplant unit. The expected length of hospital stay for an uncomplicated transplant is 7 days. For simultaneous kidney/pancreas transplant or pancreas alone, the stay is usually 14 days or less.
After the Transplant
The transplant team follows transplant recipients throughout their recovery. Patients are seen as needed in the outpatient clinic. Arrangements can be made for blood drawing and medication management through patients’ primary care physicians. Partnering with community physicians is an important part of the transition.
