Kidney Week 2025 Early Program - Care of Kidney Transplant Candidates and Recipients-Management of Kidney Transplant Recipients by Local Nephrology Professionals

Management of Kidney Transplant Recipients by Local Nephrology Professionals

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Dr. Baliga discusses how kidney transplant care transitions from transplant centers to local nephrologists and why this is increasingly necessary. With rising transplant volumes, transplant centers lack resources to follow every patient long-term, and many post-transplant issues are general medical or CKD-related rather than purely transplant-specific. Local care is often more convenient for patients and can improve broader CKD management beyond focusing only on drug levels and creatinine.<br /><br />He outlines common models for transition—often time-based (6–12 months or after 1 year) or risk-stratified for higher-risk patients (e.g., rejection risk, BK/CMV infection). He emphasizes setting expectations early to avoid patients feeling “sent away.”<br /><br />A smooth handoff requires clear communication: EMR sharing, a direct phone call (ideally with the patient present), and a concise transition letter with monitoring plans (e.g., BK screening), red flags, and vaccine guidance (no live vaccines). Ongoing collaboration is crucial, especially as new tests (e.g., cell-free DNA) may be misused without transplant-center guidance.

Asset Subtitle

Rajendra Baliga

Meta Tag

Module TRX

Speaker Rajendra Baliga

Keywords

kidney transplant care transition

transplant center to local nephrologist handoff

post-transplant follow-up models (time-based and risk-stratified)

monitoring plans (BK/CMV screening, red flags, vaccines)

cell-free DNA testing in transplant surveillance