Written by Jeff Kelly
Brijinder Kohli lives to travel. He sometimes acts alone, embracing his self-proclaimed “hippie” spirit, and other times with his wife and family. He has visited over 110 countries.
So the idea of just a three-hour drive from his home in Northern Virginia to Richmond and VCU Medical Center was of no interest to the 74-year-old.
“I refuse to go anywhere for my care other than VCU,” he said.
Breijinder recalls that it was Christmas Eve 2023 when his wife, Ranju, drove down Interstate 95 at breakneck speed to VCU Medical Center. Early that evening, the interfaith Kohli family was preparing a Greek roast of lamb when someone called. VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center: An organ donor passed away, and his organs matched Kohli, who needed a kidney.
And Breijinder's name was on a nationwide kidney donor waiting list.
Breijinder was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on her kidney in 2007, but it turned out to be benign. Surgeons removed part of his kidney. Kidneys are organs that play a role in filtering waste products and excess body fluids from the body.
However, six years ago, he was preemptively diagnosed with end-stage renal disease caused by diabetes and high blood pressure. That means his kidneys will eventually fail and he will need regular dialysis to flush them out, or a transplant to survive long-term. Breijinder was scheduled to begin dialysis in January 2024.
[At Hume-Lee]you are our patient for life. you are part of the family.
Dr. Amit Sharma, Transplant Surgeon, VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center
People undergoing dialysis can travel, but this requires finding a local dialysis center or bringing a portable hemodialysis machine and accessories. Still, dialysis is not suitable for long-term survival. The average dialysis patient lives 5 to 10 years, but some live longer.
“People are living longer because of advances in medical science and the ability to better manage chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.” Muhammad “Irfan” SaeedMD, Chief of Renal Transplant Surgery at Hume Lee. “But on the other hand, if you let the disease progress for too long, these diseases eventually affect the organs. Dialysis is bad for the patient, and the mortality rate with dialysis is much higher than with transplantation.”
According to american kidney foundationMore than 550,000 people in the United States are on dialysis, and about 90,000 are on the waiting list for a kidney. VCU Health performs more than 300 kidney transplants annually.
“The best transplants are those that allow patients who are not already on dialysis to get the most benefit from a transplant.” gaurav guptaMD, co-medical director of kidney and pancreas transplantation at Hume Lee.
“Transplantation is the gold standard for patients with kidney failure,” Saeed added.
When Others Say No, VCU Health Says Yes
The combination of advanced age and chronic illness is considered a risk factor for transplant candidates, as it increases the likelihood of poor outcomes. Such frailty means patients don't have a “buffer” to withstand the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other complications, Said said. No matter how sophisticated the tests are, it is not possible to completely reduce the risk of transplantation.
“But VCU Health has a history of trying to say 'yes' to people who have been turned down by other transplant centers,” Syed said. “We were fortunate to be able to help them.”
Left to right: Brejinder Kohli and Dr. Gaurav Gupta, co-medical director of kidney and pancreas transplantation at VCU Health Hume Lee Transplant Center. (Sarah McCloskey, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)
Said said all patients are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. There are no age restrictions for transplants, and as long as the patient's health allows the surgery and other factors are met, the transplant will be allowed.
“Our goal is to ensure that we make the most of the donated organs,” Said said. “Giving a 19-year-old's kidney to a 75-year-old is not the best use of that kidney. I'm not going to put a kidney into someone just for the sake of putting a kidney in. If I'm not going to give it to a family member, then I'm not going to give it to someone else. I won't even give it to you.”
Extraordinary compassion makes patients feel comfortable
Breijinder received the transplant on Christmas and was discharged from the hospital on New Year's Eve.
“The public health nurses at VCU were better than Florence Nightingale. They took care of me like they took care of my grandfather,” he said. “I was very impressed with the world class service.”
He said he was even more relieved when one of the two surgeons, Saeed and Kohli, told him: Amit SharmaMD spoke to him in his native language, Punjabi. The language is mainly spoken in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan, which is also where Brajinder, Sharma, and Saeed are from.
“When you speak in the patient's native language, it makes them feel more comfortable and creates a bond,” said Sharma, who used his cell phone to translate to staff in real time. “This is human behavior and it makes people feel comfortable, and that’s what we do at VCU.”
Brijinder Kohli loves traveling around the world and experiencing new things with his family. During a trip to Kyrgyzstan, he tried his hand at falconry and visited the 10,000-foot Song Kul Lake with his son Angad. (Sarah McCloskey, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)
The transplant not only saved Breijinder's life, but changed it for the better. Especially for someone like him, who loves worldly food, but has to carefully monitor his diet.
“One of the joys and joys of life is eating delicious food,” Breijinder said. “It's very frustrating as a kidney patient to go out to dinner with friends and not be able to order what you want to eat. You feel stuck.”
Breijinder's doctors also cleared him to travel again, and in October he traveled to the Patagonia region at the tip of South America for the first time since his surgery.
“I have two beliefs: God created this planet. If God created this planet, how can I return to Him without seeing it? ” he said. “My second belief is that you can recover the cost of travel. You can never recover the cost of not traveling.”
He had some complications after surgery, including catching the flu while in Buenos Aires, but Hume-Lee's care team did their best from afar. Overall, his health condition is stable and his life is normal.
“Our team is well-equipped to deal with any type of problem that may arise. We have extensive experience in kidney surgery and all of our team members are highly competent. , understands what the job is about and is passionate about every patient,” Sharma said. “You have to trust the system, you have to trust your provider. Here, you are our patient for life. You are part of the family.”
