Readers who have questions that have not already been answered in our "Frequently Asked Questions" Archive are invited to submit these in electronic form, and they will be considered for publication. Those published will be answered by a member of our Medical Advisory Board.

Recent Questions

"I have polycistic kidney disease, but am otherwise healthy. I will soon need a kidney transplant. Fortunately, my wife is the same blood type as me and, although not a perfect tissue match, I am thankful that she will be able to donate a kidney to me. My question relates to the anti-rejection medicines required after the transplant.

"I have recently read a couple of articles suggesting that if a bone marrow transplant is done first, and then the same donor provides a kidney, anti-rejection medication after the kidney transplant may not be necessary. If true, why doesn't this combination of
procedures happen more regularly?"

-- P.M.

Dr. Miller's reply:

"Formal bone marrow transplantion is a much higher risk procedure for the recipient than a kidney transplant. It requires ablation -- temporary destruction -- of the recipient's immune system and blood-forming cells. During this period and even afterwards, the recipient is at risk if the donor marrow does not take and recover. And even if it does, the recipient is at risk of graft versus host disease. Moreover, it is only likely to be successful if extremely good matches exist between donor and recipient.

"All this is said with current therapy. A great deal of research is taking place in this area, and this assessment may not hold true at some time in the future."

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As with all information provided in this site, these questions-and-answers are offered for educational purposes only, and are not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your own physician or healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.