I'm not a kidney recipient so I'm not the best person to speak to this, but I do know biopsies don't always mean rejection. There are lots of reasons a medical team may want to perform a biopsy and a lot of possible outcomes. It sounds like they're being cautious and doing everything they can to help your son. But I know how scary it can be, and how easily someone can get overwhelmed with so much going on.
sending you so much love and support - keep us posted!
Hi! I've had 12 transplant kidney biopsies over the years.
They seem scary. But it's really the best way to know what the transplant is actually doing. So much is happening the first few weeks. The biopsies will help the team understand how the kidney is reacting to all the new medications. It will help the team figure out if they need a different mix of medications. There are protocols they can try if the body is having a hard time accepting the new organ or not. Some of the medication adjustments can also make some numbers fluctuate too.
The most important thing is it sounds like the transplant team is working hard making sure it is successful. I hope this helps.
No, he is not losing the kidney, or I should say there are a lot of things that can be done to try to save the kidney, so dont lose hope.
My sons first transplant was when he was 2 years old and it was a liver and kdiney transplant. He had a "sleepy" kidney for 2.5 months which meant it did not work much at all. He had daily hemodialysis during this time and finally, they decided to stop all dialysis and see if it would work in a 48 hour time frame before re establishing dialysis. It worked and he no longer needed dialysis.
He has since received another kidney and my oldest has too. They have both needed several biopsies for various reasons. It is ok to do. They do not do them lightly, but it is the best way they can see what is going on with the kidney that labs just dont always catch. Keep the faith and know that there are lots of things they can attempt before throwing in the towel.
Hi all, thank you to those who replied to my question. It was very reassuring.
Today is 2 weeks post transplant and I am happy to report my son is doing well! Biopsy showed no problems and labs started going in the right direction.
We just got scheduled to get another kidney biopsy on my oldest child's kidney as their creatinine is increasing and we are not sure why. The transplant is just over 2 years old and we have already dealt with 1b rejection 6 months post transplant but successfully treated that. Then we had to deal with CMV and after that cleared we had a bout of BK Virus. Seems to have one challenge after another, but we are confident in our medical team and will face whatever comes our way.
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Transplant Patient
@Jeanmarie @Kouimet @fern22 @Ldybug97
Any insights?
I'm not a kidney recipient so I'm not the best person to speak to this, but I do know biopsies don't always mean rejection. There are lots of reasons a medical team may want to perform a biopsy and a lot of possible outcomes. It sounds like they're being cautious and doing everything they can to help your son. But I know how scary it can be, and how easily someone can get overwhelmed with so much going on.
sending you so much love and support - keep us posted!
Hi! I've had 12 transplant kidney biopsies over the years.
They seem scary. But it's really the best way to know what the transplant is actually doing. So much is happening the first few weeks. The biopsies will help the team understand how the kidney is reacting to all the new medications. It will help the team figure out if they need a different mix of medications. There are protocols they can try if the body is having a hard time accepting the new organ or not. Some of the medication adjustments can also make some numbers fluctuate too.
The most important thing is it sounds like the transplant team is working hard making sure it is successful. I hope this helps.
Keep us updated with the progress.
No, he is not losing the kidney, or I should say there are a lot of things that can be done to try to save the kidney, so dont lose hope.
My sons first transplant was when he was 2 years old and it was a liver and kdiney transplant. He had a "sleepy" kidney for 2.5 months which meant it did not work much at all. He had daily hemodialysis during this time and finally, they decided to stop all dialysis and see if it would work in a 48 hour time frame before re establishing dialysis. It worked and he no longer needed dialysis.
He has since received another kidney and my oldest has too. They have both needed several biopsies for various reasons. It is ok to do. They do not do them lightly, but it is the best way they can see what is going on with the kidney that labs just dont always catch. Keep the faith and know that there are lots of things they can attempt before throwing in the towel.
Thank you so much for your encouraging words! You certainly understand the roller-coaster we are on.
He had his biopsy today. Hopefully results tomorrow.
Hi all, thank you to those who replied to my question. It was very reassuring.
Today is 2 weeks post transplant and I am happy to report my son is doing well! Biopsy showed no problems and labs started going in the right direction.
@Cdub that is fantastic news!!
Transplant Patient
@Cdub Oh my gosh yay! I'm so glad things are improving for your son! I'm wishing all the best for you both
We just got scheduled to get another kidney biopsy on my oldest child's kidney as their creatinine is increasing and we are not sure why. The transplant is just over 2 years old and we have already dealt with 1b rejection 6 months post transplant but successfully treated that. Then we had to deal with CMV and after that cleared we had a bout of BK Virus. Seems to have one challenge after another, but we are confident in our medical team and will face whatever comes our way.