Patient needs dental treatment in order to join transplant list
A patient from Derry has been told he must pass a dental examination in order to be added to the transplant list.
Alan Checca, who is 43 years old and has already undergone two kidney transplant operations, is now waiting for another operation but must undergo extensive dental treatment before he can be added to the transplant list. Mr Checca currently has dialysis three times a week and his condition is deteriorating; without a transplant his future looks bleak.
Mr Checca’s wife and son have both offered to donate a kidney but Alan Checca has been told that he must have dental treatment before he can have the operation; he suffers from dental health problems, including gum disease, which could force the body to reject the donor kidney and he has therefore been told that he must have surgery to treat these problems before surgeons agree to go ahead with a transplant.
Mr Checca’s dental problems are currently preventing him from having the operation because he cannot afford the treatment and he doesn’t have dental insurance; a doctor at the Allegheny General Hospital estimated that the treatment would cost around $10,000.
The guidelines followed by the hospital state that the patient must undergo a dental examination and be passed fit by a dentist before they can have a transplant operation; most hospitals and health providers follow the same regulations.
Mr Checca is now exploring possibilities to fund his dental surgery, including contacting charitable organisations, which may help to cover the cost of the treatment.
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