Sheila Cook MS, RN, ACNS-BC Chief Experience Officer | University Of Illinois Hospital - Chicago
Sheila Cook MS, RN, ACNS-BC Chief Experience Officer | University Of Illinois Hospital - Chicago
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a prevalent health issue in the United States, affecting over 35 million individuals, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. For many, a kidney transplant presents an opportunity to escape the routine of dialysis and return to everyday activities.
However, the kidney disease and its treatments can disrupt calcium and phosphate balance, leading to vascular calcification, or calcified blood vessels. This condition can complicate or even prevent kidney transplants.
Dr. Sajid Ansari, a nephrologist at UI Health, explains, “Patients with kidney failure can’t properly eliminate phosphates through their kidneys. As phosphate builds up, it combines with calcium to form deposits in surrounding tissue. As those deposits calcify, they cause vessels to lose their flexibility, making it difficult for blood to flow.”
Individuals with end-stage renal disease, a familial history of vascular conditions, and lifestyle factors such as smoking and type 2 diabetes face an increased risk of vascular calcification. Consequently, these calcified blood vessels can impede transplantation efforts, causing certain centers to deem patients ineligible.
Despite these hurdles, UI Health offers advanced surgical techniques that expand options for patients turned away by other programs. “If we see calcifications, we have the expertise to address them,” asserts Dr. Ansari. The facility boasts vascular-trained surgeons proficient in procedures like angioplasties and bypasses, aiming to unblock arteries.
For complex cases, including those with vascular calcifications or living donors with multiple arteries, robotic surgery minimizes surgical-site infections while maintaining transplant effectiveness.
Patients who do not require surgery can explore alternative treatments within the Kidney Transplant Program and the Division of Nephrology. These include personalized nutrition and exercise plans, as well as medication management, to mitigate surgery-related complications. Such holistic care plans aim to help more patients transition from dialysis to resumed normalcy.
“When patients have advanced kidney disease, they’re often unable to work, travel, or see family,” notes Dr. Ansari. He adds that post-transplant, patients regain not just health and strength but the fullness of life.
To learn more about these options, individuals are encouraged to visit the Kidney Transplant Program or call 312.996.6771.
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