How can i get transplant sooner?
There are various types of kidneys available for donation, some of which have shorter wait times. Some kidneys take less time to get than others. You get to choose which one you want to get. If you are open to more than one kind, you may get a donor faster. Getting a kidney transplant from someone who has hepatitis C might allow you to get a kidney transplant faster because hepatitis C-positive kidneys are in less demand.
What is hepatitis C?
- Hepatitis C is a virus that can makes your liver sick. Around 2.4 million people in the United States have it
- Sometimes, people don’t feel very sick when they have hepatitis C. They might not feel sick for many years! Some people might feel like their tummy hurts, they’re tired, or their joints hurt
- There is medicine to make hepatitis C go away in most people, so it’s good to know if you have it and start treatment early. If you don’t, your liver could get really sick
Is It Safe to get this kidney?
Within the last few years, there have been a few cases where doctors transplant a hepatitis C-infected kidney into the body of a person without hepatitis C. This can make the person who gets the new kidney with hepatitis C too. But, the doctors have medicine to cure the hepatitis C. In fact, the medication can cure 99.9% of patients with hepatitis C.
Having a new kidney is better for your health than being on a machine that cleans your blood all the time, called dialysis. The medicine to cure hepatitis C does not have a lot of bad side effects.
Getting a new kidney is very important and it the result of those who got this type of this transplant have been very positive.
Reference
- https://www.kidneyfund.org/all-about-kidneys/other-kidney-problems/hepatitis-c/hepatitis-c-and-kidney-transplants#:~:text=You%20can%20still%20be%20eligible,recommended%20for%20a%20kidney%20transplant.
