Successful Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients Without Interruption of Their CKD6 Treatment Modality

Congratulations to Dr. Gabriel Valle and Barbara Kissane Valle RN, BSN, CNS (She is the Peritoneal Dialysis Co-ordinator), who in conjunction with Dr. Nestor DelaCruz of The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine will have their groundbreaking study published next month in "Advances in Peritoneal Dialysis". The study-the first ever-looked at successful gastric bypass in PD patients without stopping this type of dialysis, in order to qualify for Kidney Transplant listing. It was so successful, we continue to recommend this option in specific cases. Congratulations to them and the entire Kidney Group team, and of course our 5 outstanding patients who were the pioneers. You inspire us everyday.

Gabriel A. Valle,1 Barbara E. Kissane,1 Nestor de la Cruz– Muñoz2 During the past several decades, the conventional management of peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery required a transition to hemodialysis on a temporary basis. In recent years, that protocol has been challenged by various authors who successfully repaired hernias in such subjects without interruption of their PD modality. However, that new approach was reserved for abdominal wall procedures and was not used for intra-abdominal surgery. The rapid evolution of laparoscopic surgery and the development and refinement of minimally invasive surgical techniques have revolutionized the field of surgery by providing superior outcomes for an ever-increasing list of indications including morbid obesity. The present study, the first of its kind involving elective intra-abdominal surgery, sought to determine the safety of uninterrupted PD therapy in morbidly obese patients with stage 6 chronic kidney disease undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery as a precursor to transplantation.