The groundbreaking operation was detailed in today’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Picture: AP Source: AP

• Man gets kidney handed down from two previous owners
• Surgeons re-implanted the partially-damaged organ
• The re-used organ thrived and damage was reversed

IN a medical first, a kidney transplant recipient from Indiana in the US was given a "recycled" organ that was handed down from two previous owners.

Erwin Gomez, a 67-year-old surgeon from Valparaiso, Indiana, received the kidney after its first recipient, Ray Fearing, 27, from Illinois, found that his body rejected the organ.

The groundbreaking operation was detailed in today’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Mr Fearing has a rare disease called FSGS, which causes damage to kidneys, and soon after the transplant in June last year, his new kidney – donated to him by his sister – showed signs it was being affected by his condition.

Doctors acted quickly, as the donated kidney posed life-threating symptoms to mr Fearing, and examined the possibility of re-implanting the now partially-damaged organ it into another patient without FSGS, rather than discarding it.

Mr Gomez was given the option of taking a twice-used kidney, or remaining on the waiting list for a completely healthy one. he accepted without hesitation, and two weeks after mr Fearing received the kidney, it was re-implanted into the father-of-five.

The re-used organ thrived in mr Gomez and just eight days after transplantation at Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital, tests showed that the damage to the organ was reversed.

Dr Lorenzo Gallon, mr Fearing’s doctor and medical director of the kidney transplant program at the hospital, said, "When post-surgery tests indicated that Ray was at risk of developing life-threatening conditions due to the reoccurrence of the disease, we had to remove the kidney before he deteriorated. The kidney however was still a relatively healthy, viable organ that could be transplanted into someone else without FSGS."

He added, "after numerous discussions to carefully consider this first-ever procedure, we presented Ray with the option to donate his kidney to someone on the national kidney waiting list rather than discarding it."

Mr Fearing, whose 21-year-old sister Cera donated the organ, was hopeful he will receive another kidney transplant in the future.

"It may not have been my time, but I am grateful that I was able to help another patient," mr Fearing said. "my day will come."

The surgeons involved in re-implanting the kidney said that as well as successfully recycling a FSGS-damaged organ, they had made "significant strides in better understanding" the cause of the condition.

a Grand Forks soldier is getting a little help as he waits for a kidney transplant.

A fundraiser and silent auction tonight are just some ways people are showing support.

42-year-old John Chase was serving overseas with the National Guard for almost 6 months when he noticed a change in his health.

” a lot of times I do too much and I just have to lay down because I see stars and I just go out.”

John started feeling sick when he was serving in Afghanistan but it wasn’t until a family vacation to Disneyland that he knew something was truly wrong.

At first John thought he may have cancer because of his flu-like symptoms, but after three different doctor visits, he found out it was a bug known as good pastures disease.

“It attacks the kidneys and it was on it’s way to attack his lungs too, but they arrested it before it got that far. But it already killed his kidneys so it goes for that soft tissue,” family friend Glory Fladland said.

John is on dialysis three days a week which wears him out. he can’t get a kidney transplant until the bug is out of his system. Family and friends wanted to help with a benefit for some of the expenses at the American Legion in Grand Forks.

“He’s been sickly so I thought I would do something for his family to help out with expenses and stuff like that,” John’s sister-in-law Marie Baker said.

Although John did not get to finish his tour in Afghanistan, he has high hopes for the future.

“I’d like to be able to stay in the Guard, I’m hoping the kidney transplant will go good. I’ll be on medication my whole life. I’d like to be able to finish out my, what do I have, 8 years and then I’ll be done, so that’s what I’m hoping,” Chase said.

John is hoping to get a transplant by June of next year.

Tags: john chase, kidney transplant, lezlie johnson, grand forks, news, military

Kidney infection dangers are real and serious because a kidney infection can lead to kidney failure. once your kidneys no longer function, the only way to stay alive is through kidney dialysis or a kidney transplant.

There are two main types of kidney infection: pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis.

Although the actual infection is located in the kidney, a kidney infection often starts lower in the urinary tract–namely the bladder. Germs from the bladder migrate upward the ureters multiply when they reach the kidney. This usually happens in someone who has low resistance for some reason. 

An acute kidney infection begins with severe symptoms, but then ends quickly once it has run it’s course.

However, a chronic kidney infection takes a while to develop, and gets worse as time passes. Kidney failure can ultimately result.

Glomerulonephritis 

Acute glomerulonephritis involves an inflammation of the renal glomeruli of the kidneys. It appears to be an antigen-antibody reaction, and it results in damage in the glomerular capillaries of the kidney.

Acute glomerulonephritis typically occurs after a streptococcal infection of the respiratory tract. sometimes a skin infection such as impetigo may precede it. a strep infection is the most common cause.

Chronic glomerulonephritis, on the other hand, progresses slowly. Characteristically, there’s an inflammation of the glomeruli which causes sclerosis, scarring and finally, kidney failure. This type of kidney infection is particularly insidious because it develops over a long period of time in which no symptoms are present.

A wide variety of infections can trigger glomerulonephritis, including

• pneumonia, 
• hepatitis, 
• measles, 
• malaria, and 
• syphilis. 

Sometimes, systemic problems or structural problems in the kidney will trigger chronic glomerulonephritis.

When glomerulonephritis continues for more than a year, it’s generally considered to be chronic. a person with this type of kidney infection may live a normal life for 20-30 years without symptoms, but at some point the kidneys become damaged so much they won’t function. a kidney transplant or kidney dialysis may then be necessary.

Pyelonephritis

Pyelonephritis is an inflammation of one or both kidneys that can come in three forms: acute, relapsing or chronic. It can involve complications like high blood pressure (hypertension) and ultimately, kidney failure.

Pyelonephritis usually progresses very slowly, and patients sometimes don’t notice symptoms or experience kidney dysfunction for more than 20 years after onset.

Most cases of pyelonephritis are the result of some kind of bacterial infection, often from one of many organisms that cause bladder infections. certain conditions increase the likelihood of such an infection: urinary tract infections, tumors, stagnant urine due to backflow from the bladder, abnormal prostate growth, diabetes mellitus, kidney stones, trauma, scars from previous infections, or even pregnancy.

Symptoms

Symptoms some kidney infections are often hard to diagnose, but signs of pyelonephritis are often acute.

• back pain, 
• fever or chills,  
• nausea, 
• cloudy, foul smelling urine,  
• unusual, unexplained weakness and fatigue. 

Treatment

The best treatment for glomerulonephritis involves rest and antibiotics. Treatment usually goes one for one to two weeks after tests of blood, blood pressure, and the urine reveal that the kidneys have returned to normal. the patient’s sodium and protein may be restricted during this time.

In the case of pyelonephritis, the most important steps involve eliminating the bacteria that’s causing the infection, and unblocking any obstructions.  

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