I thought that Heather Gardiners\u2019 research on Kidney Transplants and BMI\/obesity was very interesting. I learned a lot through this presentation that I otherwise would not have been aware of. To begin, I thought it was interesting when she mentioned that BMI may not be the best way to measure obesity because it does not take into account muscle mass. I know that we learned this in class, but it was interesting to hear how BMI plays a role in assessing someone\u2019s eligibility for a kidney transplant. In addition, it was interesting to hear some of the other ways that weight could be assessed, such as water displacement, or formulas that take into account age and gender. It makes me wonder why BMI is the widely accepted obesity measurement.<\/p>\n
Through this presentation, I learned how extensive the process is to receive a transplant. I was not aware that there are restrictions for being placed on a transplant list. I was under the impression that if you needed a transplant then you were automatically placed on the list, maybe in a certain order of who is in the most critical condition. I also learned that different transplant centers have different obesity criteria for receiving a transplant. To me this was shocking and also seems unfair due to the inconsistency across centers. It seems like wealthy white individuals have an advantage over those who may not be of high Socioeconomic status. Heather brought up Steve Jobs and how he was able to fly to another transplant center in order to have his name on multiple waitlists. I also thought it was astounding how Heather Gardiner had such a difficult time acquiring the transplant centers policies. I believe that this is something that any potential patient should be able to easily obtain.<\/p>\n
I personally know a young boy who was waiting a heart transplant and I know that the process was grueling and stressful, knowing that his condition was only getting worse. The research Heather Gardiner is conducting is extremely important and the general public should be made aware of these discrepancies across treatment facilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I thought that Heather Gardiners\u2019 research on Kidney Transplants and BMI\/obesity was very interesting. I learned a lot through this presentation that I otherwise would not have been aware of. To begin, I thought it was interesting when she mentioned … Continue reading