Organ donation: “I wanted to give something back to my wife”
Roland P. donated a kidney to his wife at the age of 74 – the 500th living-donor kidney transplant at Uniklinikum Erlangen
At the age of 40, Sieglinde P. was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy, an incurable kidney disease that entails a progressive reduction in kidney function. For a long time, she remained free of symptoms in spite of her kidneys being chronically inflamed. However, everything changed in 2024. Her kidneys progressively deteriorated, and 30 years after her initial diagnosis, she had to undergo dialysis several times a week. The only alternative: a kidney transplant At first, Sieglinde P. was skeptical. “Waiting times for a donor organ are eight to nine years, there’s no point for someone my age! That’s what I thought at the time,” she remembers. When the team from the Erlangen-Nürnberg Transplant Center (speaker: Prof. Dr. Robert Grützmann) at Uniklinikum Erlangen finally suggested a living-donor kidney transplant, her husband Roland P. was determined: “I have been very lucky in life and have never been seriously ill. I thought to myself: If it is medically possible, I would like to donate one of my kidneys to my wife.” No sooner said than done – the preparation, removal of the organ and the subsequent transplant all went according to plan. Just a few days after surgery, Roland and Sieglinde P. were able to leave the hospital. During this year’s Organ Donation Day, the couple from the Fürth region would like to encourage other patients with their story.
“It all started when my blood pressure was considerably higher than normal,” remembers Sieglinde P. “So I went to my family doctor. He then transferred me to a kidney specialist.” There, a biopsy confirmed the suspected diagnosis: IgA nephropathy. During this condition, an autoimmune reaction in the body leads to a build up of deposits in the glomeruli, damaging the kidney’s filter units and harming the functioning of the organ as a whole. “The prognosis was really quite good. Roughly two thirds of people with the condition can live with the disease without any major limitations. I saw that myself with my mother, she also had IgA nephropathy and lived until she was 89,” says Sieglinde P. When she was diagnosed at the age of 40, she was therefore very confident about the future. She started trying to support her kidneys as well as possible with a healthy balanced diet and an active lifestyle. At the same time, she regularly attended appointments with the nephrologist, at first once a year, then every six months. “At the end of the day, by taking such a disciplined approach, I managed to keep my kidneys working for nearly 30 years in spite of the impairment!” smiles the 71 year old with pride.
An indirect route to dialysis
In spite of her unwavering discipline, her kidney function began to deteriorate and her check-ups with the doctor became more frequent. In January 2024 it finally became clear: dialysis was unavoidable. “Originally, my kidney specialist recommended peritoneal dialysis,” explained the patient. “This uses the lining of the belly as a natural filter to clear waste products from the body, and I would have been able to treat myself at home.” However, just before the catheter required for peritoneal dialysis was to be placed, Sieglinde P. developed diverticulitis, an inflammation of little pouches in the wall of the intestines. As diverticulitis can reoccur at any time, it meant that peritoneal dialysis was too dangerous. The only alternative was regular hemodialysis, three times a week for several hours at a time in the Dialysis Center Nürnberg-West.
Patient seminar sparked hope
Although Sieglinde P. was skeptical about a kidney transplant due to her advanced age and the long waiting periods, her kidney specialist from Nuremberg Dr. Stefan Graf encouraged her to look into it and attend one of the patient seminars offered by the Transplant Center Erlangen-Nürnberg: “Just go and listen to what they have to say.” The couple then attended two sessions. “Thanks to the patients and doctors who reported back on their experiences, we began to think differently about organ donation, it all became much more plausible,” remembers Sieglinde P. “Directly afterwards, my husband announced that he would like to give me one of his kidneys.” She looks over towards her husband. Roland P. adds, “During our marriage, my wife often had to make compromises for my benefit, for instance to let me pursue my dream career. After all these years, I wanted to give something back to her.”
Preparations
“Deciding to undergo a living-donor kidney transplant has to be considered very carefully in all instances, but especially at an advanced age,” explains Prof. Dr. Mario Schiffer, director of Department of Medicine 4 – Nephrology and Hypertension at Uniklinikum Erlangen. “At the end of the day, the recipient should benefit from the surgery without incurring any complications for the donor. At the Transplant Center Erlangen-Nürnberg, we therefore always offer a detailed consultation beforehand. We also conduct a number of preliminary examinations to check that the donor and the recipient are both in good health.” After endless tests and weeks of uncertainty, the couple from the Fürth region finally received the good news: they are suitable for a living-donor transplant. “We were quite pleased,” says Sieglinde P modestly, but with a smile showing how emotional the news was for them.
The big day
“In the case of a living-donor kidney transplant, the organ is removed and transplanted on the same day. This allows the ischemia period, in other words the time during which the organ that is removed remains outside the body and cut off from the blood supply, to be kept as brief as possible,” explains surgeon PD Dr. Hendrik Apel, deputy head of the Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology (director: Prof. Dr. Bernd Wullich). He continues, “The organ was removed from Mr. P. using minimally invasive key-hole surgery. We were able to remove the kidney after making four small incisions in his abdomen and one approximately five centimeter long incision in his lower abdomen.” The transplant was also conducted using as gentle a procedure as possible. Prof. Dr. Georg Weber, deputy director of the Department of Surgery who carried out the surgery together with PD Apel, stresses: “ It goes without saying that all surgical procedures entail a certain risk. However, kidney transplants are one of our routine procedures and generally proceed without incident.”
New life awaits
Just a few days after the operation, Roland and Sieglinde P. were able to be discharged from hospital and return to their daily life, a life that will now be quite different from before. “Now that I no longer have to go to dialysis, I will have so much free time that I won’t know what to do with myself!” laughs the 71 year old on the day she left the hospital, adding: “I can hardly wait to go walking and cycling again, to sing in the choir and go for hikes!”. Roland P. has plans too: “At first, I will take it easy. But I am already looking forward to getting back on to the football pitch!” The couple thanked the team during an emotional goodbye. “We always felt very well cared for and in the best hands here in the university hospital, both with the doctors and with the nurses. It was the right decision – for both of us.” Dr. Katharina Heller, head of the administrative office of the Transplant Center Erlangen-Nürnberg, also appeared relieved. “We become invested in every couple. It is lovely that almost 60 years after the very transplant at Uniklinikum Erlangen our 500th first living-donor kidney couple is so satisfied!” When asked what they would say to other patients, they both replied without hesitation: “Be brave!”
Further information:
Transplant Center Erlangen-Nürnberg
Phone:+49 9131/85-36025
tx-geschaeftsstelle@uk-erlangen.de