¿ªÔÆÈ«Õ¾appÏÂÔØ

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the most common health conditions in the United States, affecting more than 35 million people in some form, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. For some patients, kidney transplantation can be a life-changing cure for CKD, offering them a chance to stop dialysis treatments and get back to more of the things they love.

However, kidney disease — and many of the treatments that slow its progression — can disrupt the body’s natural balance of calcium and phosphate, contributing to harmful build-up in surrounding blood vessels that can prevent safe transplantation. This is called vascular calcification, or calcified blood vessels.

Sajid Ansari, MD
Kidney Transplantation

What Causes Blood Vessel Calcification?

“Patients with kidney failure can’t properly eliminate phosphates through their kidneys,” says Dr. Sajid Ansari, a ¿ªÔÆÈ«Õ¾appÏÂÔØ nephrologist. “As phosphate builds up, it combines with calcium to form deposits in surrounding tissue. As those deposits calcify, they cause vessels to lose their flexibility, making it difficult for blood to flow.”

Patients with end-stage renal disease or a family history of vascular disease are more susceptible to developing vascular calcification, but have indicated that lifestyle factors like smoking and type 2 diabetes also can damage blood vessel walls over time.

As such, calcified blood vessels and other complex vascular conditions can make transplant difficult for certain patients, and they may not be eligible for transplant at certain centers.

Kidney Transplant Options for Calcified Vessels

While calcified vessels can be an obstacle to kidney transplantation, the advanced surgical techniques available at ¿ªÔÆÈ«Õ¾appÏÂÔØ are changing what is possible for patients who might have been turned away by other transplantation programs.

“If we see calcifications, we have the expertise to address them,” says Dr. Ansari. “Our program is home to a number of vascular-trained surgeons, who can perform angioplasties and bypasses to open those arteries.

For patients with complex vascular problems such as vascular calcifications and living donors with multiple arteries, performing these surgeries with robotic surgery techniques minimizes surgical-site infections while maintaining the efficacy of the kidney transplant.

For patients who may not require surgery, the Kidney Transplant Program and the Division of Nephrology can recommend other treatment options, including personalized nutrition and exercise plans and medication management to reduce the possibility of complications during surgery. These holistic, personalized care plans are helping more patients undergo successful kidney transplants, get off dialysis, and get back to the lives they want to live.

“When patients have advanced kidney disease, they’re often unable to work, travel, or see family.” Dr. Ansari said. “When they receive a transplant, they aren’t just healthier and stronger; they have their lives back.”

Visit the Kidney Transplant Program to learn more, and call 312.996.6771 to request an appointment.