UPDATE ON FIRST TRANSPLANT OF 2012

Dr. Valle informed me today Mary's transplant at University of Miami was actually a pre-emptive kidney-pancreas transplant done by the wonderful Dr. George Burke at The University of Miami. Happy to report she did great.

FIRST KG KIDNEY TRANSPLANT OF 2012

Congratulations to Dr. Valle's patient, Mary H., who received a kidney transplant at The University of Miami this week, our first of 2012. She received it without ever being on dialysis. This stresses why early intervention and referral to a transplant center is important. We are hoping for another great year. We transplanted nearly 4 times the National Average of patients on dialysis in 2011 and the rate among our peritoneal dialysis program was 11 times the national average. Congratulations to Mary!

DR. JORGE AJURIA BECOMES A FELLOW OF ASN

The Kidney Group is proud of Dr. Jorge Ajuria on his becoming a Fellow in The American Society of Nephrology. Dr. Ajuria is also board certified in both Internal Medicine and Nephroloy. Congratulations, Dr. A.!!!

SOUTH FLORIDA'S KIDNEY GROUP DOES RECORD NUMBER OF KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS THIS YEAR

As the end of 2011 draws near, The Kidney Group looks back on what has been our most outstanding year for transplants of our patients. Both dialysis and pre-dialysis patients. Both deceased donor transplants and living donor transplants hit record numbers. Next week we will complile our statistics regarding where transplants were done, age of patients, deceased or living donors, and how many were done pre-emptively ie prior to beginning dialysis. If they were already on dialysis-was it Peritoneal Dialysis or Hemodialysis? And then we study the results, and plan on how to top that number in 2012. And every year so far, we have reached a higher number.
It would be far more difficult to statistically report the patients we assist in living successfully with kidney disease, and delaying progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and avoiding, hopefully, the need for any renal replacement therapy. This is of course our goal. Over 90 % of our our patients never require dialysis. For those that do, we favor transplant if possible.
The addition this year of Broward County's only board certified transplant nephrologist, Dr. Marco Ladino, has certainly bolstered our pre-transplant program at The Kidney Group. We look forward to his assistance and evaluation of our patients who desire a transplant, and we eagerly await what promises to be another great year in 2012. So from all of us at The Kidney Group we wish you a Happy New Year and a healthy, happy 2012!

DR. GABRIEL VALLE'S KIDNEY TRANSPLANT PATIENT DOES IT ALL

Kidney Group transplant patient, Jon, really is an inspiration. He completed his college degree while grappling with late stage renal failure, getting excellent grades, and maintaining a very high level of physical fitness. Upon graduation from The University of Florida, he began Peritoneal Dialysis, all while maintaining a full life-running a fledgling company and pursuing an MBA. He was an excellent patient, and always cheerful. We used him again and again as an example to (especially young) patients facing similar circumstances. We never once heard him complain or be anything but positive. His level of compliance was remarkable given his young age.
True to form he sailed through transplant at Shands, and manages to continue to do it all. We don't see him as often since the successful transplant, but when we do, the sight of his handsome face and infectious smile is always a high point for the entire staff.
This isn't to say there was never a bump in his medical course, it is just that the totality of his positive attitude and dedication made his (and our)

experience a very positive one.

KIDNEY GROUP CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST, BARBARA KISSANE VALLE, HAS ABSTRACT ACCEPTED BY THE ANNUAL DIALYSIS CONFERENCE

Congratulations to our Clinical Nurse Specialist, Barbara Kissane, who had her abstract accepted for presentation at The Annual Dialysis Conference to be held in San Antonio in February, 2012. The topic is "Gastric Bypass Surgery in Morbidly Obese Peritoneal Dialysis Patients Awaiting Kidney Transplant Without Changing Their Dialysis Modality". This is actually a goundbreaking study done by Barbara in conjunction with Dr. Nestor De La Cruz of the University of Miami School of Medicine and the doctors of The Kidney Group. She has also been invited to present a manuscript of the study to be published in "Peritoneal Dialysis International". Congratulations to Barbara!
Dialysis Conference 2012, University of Missouri Extension
som.missouri.edu
Sponsored by MU School of Medicine MU Sinclair School of Nursing University of Missouri Extension..

ONLY 4 MORE PPTOPA "SECRET GARDEN" PERFORMANCES FOR JULIETTE VALLE

Only 4 more PPTOPA performances of the hit musical "The Secret Garden" remain for Dr. Valle's daughter, Juliette, age 10. She is performing the lead role of "Mary Lennox", with an award winning cast and an orchestra. Remaining performances are Saturday November 12th and 19th at 8pm and Sunday, November 13th and 20th, at 2pm. Please join us for an unforgettable musical!