Dr Colin Geddes
Dr Colin Geddes is a Consultant Nephrologist (kidney doctor) at NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde.
Why did you choose transplant as a speciality?
I was struck by the dramatic improvement in health that a successful kidney transplant can achieve and by the scientific challenges that exist in trying to achieve a successful transplant.
How would you describe your role?
I am a Consultant Nephrologist with sub-speciality responsibilities for living donor work-up and for acute transplantation. The latter role means working closely with the transplant surgeons in dealing with complications in the early post-transplant period and the first year after transplant. I also have management responsibilities as lead nephrologist, in education as a supervisor of training nephrologists, and in research as an investigator in clinical trials.
What have been the most significant advances in transplantation in your view?
There have been numerous. During my career, recognition of the superiority of pre-emptive living donor transplant, virtual lymphocyte crossmatch, improved recognition and understanding of HLA antibodies, ABO blood group incompatible transplantation, paired/pooled living donor transplant, improved diagnosis of cytomegalovirus disease and recognition of BK virus transplant nephropathy could all be described as 'game-changers'.
What is the most rewarding part of your role?
Listening to a transplant recipient describe the positive effect of a transplant on their life. Each transplant requires a big investment from many people but when they work well, kidney transplantation is one of the most amazing treatments in medicine.
What advice would you give anyone considering donating a kidney?
Try to get as much information as possible. Ask to speak to someone who has previously donated a kidney.