Prof. Dr. Emil Paskalev is the head of the Clinic for Nephrology and Transplantation of Alexandrovska Hospital, where the main part of kidney transplants in Bulgaria is performed.
Which people should be referred for transplant?
- Transplantation is an optimal method of treating kidney failure. In Bulgaria, there are officially 3,500 people on dialysis treatment with kidney failure. Of these, there are about 900 patients on the waiting list. However, many patients can be put on the waiting list and given a chance for a kidney transplant before they have gone on dialysis. In the last two years, there has been a distinct increase in this type of patients. When they get a kidney transplant before they go on dialysis, they have a better quality of life compared to people who are transplanted after 5-10 years on dialysis and are
received irreversible damage to other organs
No matter how perfect a kidney transplant is, it cannot restore the condition of the damaged organs. That is why for several months we have been actively working with nephrologists who prepare patients for transplantation before they have undergone dialysis.
Colleagues can cover these patients in pre-hospital care and refer them for kidney transplant.
What are the survival statistics after a kidney transplant?
- Survival is 90-95% in the first year, 70% - in the fifth year, over 50% - in the tenth year. Our achievement is 30 years of patient life after kidney transplantation. Our work will be optimally successful when 50 new patients have entered the waiting list and we have performed over 50 kidney transplants. This year we really have an increase in transplants compared to new leaf inclusions. The transplants are over 80, which is a fantastic result.
