More lives saved thanks to new transplant technologies

Tuesday, 18 July 2017

Researchers and clinicians working to save the lives of people with chronic kidney diseases say improvements in living donor transplant technologies are making a real impact on patient care.

Members of the community will have the chance to hear about these life-saving efforts in a free public lecture being held at the University of Adelaide tomorrow (Wednesday 19 July), Advancements in living kidney donation.

Professor Toby Coates, Dr Robert Carroll and Mr Shantanu Bhattacharjya will discuss the latest technologies and options for living kidney donation.

"Patients previously deemed 'untransplantable' now have new hope for treatment, thanks especially to developments in crossing blood groups. This is enabling transplants to succeed where previously they would have been rejected by the patient," Professor Coates says.

"Our talk will be of particular interest to anyone whose life, or whose loved one's life, has been affected by chronic kidney disease.

"It's important for us to raise awareness of these developments in the community, helping people to understand that there is more hope now than ever for quality treatment. As researchers and clinicians, we're also helping to develop better treatments for future patients," he says.

Professor Coates is a full-time clinician-scientist and Renal Transplant Nephrologist at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. As well as being a medical doctor, he holds a PhD in Transplant Immunology from the University of Adelaide and is a Clinical Professor in Medicine at the University's Adelaide Medical School.

Dr Carroll is a Transplant Nephrologist at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and a senior lecturer in Medicine at the University of Adelaide. Dr Carroll established the only Young Adult Renal Clinic in Australia. He will talk about the Australian Paired Kidney Exchange and how incompatible kidney donor couples can find a match by exchanging with other incompatible couples.

Mr Bhattacharjy is a transplant surgeon from the Royal Adelaide Hospital specialising in living donor transplants. He will discuss laparoscopic "keyhole" surgery for kidney donation – a technique pioneered first in Adelaide, which has revolutionised kidney donation and resulted in much speedier recovery for kidney donors.

WHAT: Executive Dean's Public Lecture Series: Advancements in living kidney donation by Professor Toby Coates, Dr Robert Carroll and Mr Shantanu Bhattacharjya
WHERE: Napier 102 lecture theatre, Napier building, North Terrace campus, University of Adelaide
WHEN: TOMORROW – 5.30-6.30pm, Wednesday 19 July 2017
COST: Free and open to all – please register

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