Wells Larsen is on a path to recovery. It's a path he never thought he'd be on a few years ago. At 22 years old, Wells was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease, something members of his family have also had, including his mother who passed away from the disease. A self-described "meat-and-potatoes guy," Wells didn't start taking his health seriously until he was in his mid-30s and his kidney function was declining rapidly.
Often, patients whose body mass index, or BMI, is too high aren't able to get a transplant because of the higher risks of complications before and during surgery.
While he tried to lose the weight on his own, Wells wasn't able to meet the criteria for a transplant and was made inactive on the transplant waitlist.
But Dr. Ty Diwan, a Mayo Clinic transplant surgeon, believes obesity doesn't have to be an automatic no for transplant. He, along with Mayo Clinic Nephrologist Dr. Aleksandra Kukla, helped create a unique new program to help patients with higher BMIs, like Wells, lose the weight necessary to get them to transplant. Wells was one of the first patients in the new program, which, in his case, included bariatric surgery to accelerate weight loss. Within six months, Wells had lost enough weight through not only the bariatric surgery, but also making lifestyle changes when it comes to diet and exercise. Wells was placed on the active transplant list, and within two weeks, he got the call he never expected he'd get so soon. Dr. Diwan says Wells is the perfect example of what they're trying to achieve with this new program. Wells and his wife have plans to visit Disney World next December.
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