Kidney Transplant List Patient Helping Him Make A Good Decision
A patient presented to Dr. Lox with knee pain. He was told his knee was bone on bone, and needs knee replacement surgery. He did not wish to have this, as his other knee had already had knee replacement surgery, and he wanted a knee replacement surgery alternative. However, after careful questioning, Dr.Lox obtained critical information that should be important to all doctors considering the treatment of this gentleman. He was number one on the kidney transplant list. He was on kidney dialysis for diabetic complications resulting in end stage kidney disease. Hardly an ideal knee replacement surgery patient, especially in the Coronavirus Pandemic world we know live in.
What Makes a Bad Knee Surgical Patient a Better Regenerative Medicine Candidate
There are obvious reasons one should consider Regenerative Medicine and Knee Stem Cell Therapy. In this patient the underlying medical issues make knee replacement surgery a serious risk to his health. He is diabetic, on dialysis, end stage kidney disease, and is number one on the kidney transplant list. One bad outcome in the hospital, and they call his number, he misses his chance at the kidney transplant. Personally, this is the most drastic misrepresentation of a bad surgical risk Dr. Lox has ever seen. Now, add in the Coronavirus Pandemic, and impairing his immune system asa result of a major surgery with so many existing medical conditions, he is an disastrous concern for even contemplating knee replacement surgery.
It doesn’t stop there.it gets worse. He also has chronic low back pain, and was diagnosed with spinal stenosis. A spine surgeon also told hi he needed a back fusion now as well. It was a pleasure to help him understand the great risk he was presently in for surgery. His most pressing consideration was the kidney transplant list. Understanding he is still at risk for the Coronavirus after a kidney transplant, yet the transplant team would surely be more adept at managing complications, and be fully aware of his medical conditions.
Why Knee Stem Cell Therapy Makes Alternative to Knee Surgery Sense
Considering all factors, it became apparent there was an additional very important factor still missing in his evaluation that all the knee and spine surgeons had failed to ask and obtain by spending quality time with this very nice gentleman. He had failed recently a transplant list requirement. After a recent hospitalization, he became deconditioned. This generalized weakness from deconditioning after his hospitalization, combined with his knee pain prevented him from wasting 6 minutes. The 6-minute walking was a requirement for his kidney transplant surgery. This made addressing his overall weakness, and knee pain a priority to get him good enough to walk the required 6 minutes. After spending enough time with this nice gentleman consideration was given to general rehabilitation, and knee stem cell therapy as a less invasive treatment option to help avoid knee replacement surgery, and achieve his goals. It was decided it was most important to address his deconditioning then consider Regenerative Medicine as a knee replacement surgery option. First and foremost help the patient.
