<div><span> Chris Sonnenday is the Transplant Center Director for Michigan Medicine. As Peter's senior resident while at Johns Hopkins, Chris made a lasting impression on him with his remarkable leadership and ability to maintain his humanity through the stressors of that challenging environment. In this episode, Chris tells the incredible backstory of the history of transplant medicine, focusing on the kidney and the liver. He discusses the surgical and immunologic developments that launched the field forward, but also lays out the challenges ahead for the field, such as the rising prevalence of chronic kidney and liver failure. Chris also tells many stories of tragedy and triumph that comes with working in organ transplantation, but ultimately explains the rewarding nature of being a witness to the gift of organ donation.</span></div> <div> <p> </p> <p>We discuss:</p> <ul type="disc"> <li>What attracted Chris to medicine, and his leadership in residency (3:30);</li> <li>How Chris maintained his empathy and humanity through the stresses of med school and residency (8:30);</li> <li>Why Chris chose a complicated field like transplant medicine (23:15);</li> <li>Explaining kidney transplantation to showcase the challenge of organ transplantation surgery (28:00);</li> <li>Overcoming the immune-based challenges of transplant surgery (37:00);</li> <li>How the discovery of cyclosporine transformed the field of organ transplantation (49:00);</li> <li>Rising chronic kidney failure due to the prevalence of pre-diabetes and metabolic syndrome (53:45);</li> <li>Why living kidney donations are superior, and the possibility of a market for kidney donation (59:30);</li> <li>Designing a fair system of organ distribution (1:17:30);</li> <li>The debate on what constitutes "death" when deciding when to take organs from a registered organ donor (1:21:45);</li> <li>Reflections on the gift of organ donation (1:33:15);</li> <li>The history of liver transplantation and why it's so complex (1:39:15);</li> <li>Addressing acute liver failure and the amazing baboon experiment (1:46:15);</li> <li>The potential for the rising prevalence of NAFLD and NASH to overwhelm the liver transplant infrastructure in the US (1:54:45);</li> <li>The importance of teamwork in successful organ transplantations, and the most tragic event Chris has ever witnessed (2:05:45); and</li> <li>More.</li> </ul> <p>Learn more: <a href="https://peterattiamd.com/">https://peterattiamd.com/</a><br /> <br /> Show notes page for this episode: <a href="http://peterattiamd.com/ChrisSonnenday">http://peterattiamd.com/ChrisSonnenday</a><br /> <br /> Subscribe to receive exclusive subscriber-only content: <a href="https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/">https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/</a><br /> <br /> Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: <a href="https://peterattiamd.com/newsletter/">https://peterattiamd.com/newsletter/</a><br /> <br /> Connect with Peter on <a href="http://Facebook.com/PeterAttiaMD"><u>Faceboo</u></a><u>k</u> | <a href="http://Twitter.com/PeterAttiaMD"><u>Twitter</u></a> | <a href="http://Instagram.com/PeterAttiaMD"><u>Instagram</u></a>.</p> </div>
Actionable Insights
1. Communicate Organ Donation Wishes
Register yourself as an organ donor and clearly communicate your wishes to your family, making it easier for them during a difficult time by providing an advanced directive.
2. Proactively Monitor Kidney Health
To preserve kidney function for a longer, healthier life, proactively monitor biomarkers like Cystatin C and microalbumin in urine, and address seemingly minor issues like blood pressure (e.g., 130/85) to prevent precipitous decline.
3. Explore Living Organ Donation
If you are in need of a kidney transplant, seriously consider exploring options for living donation due to its significant benefits in graft survival and reduced rejection rates compared to deceased donor organs.
4. Prioritize Preventative Care
Recognize the current shortcomings in preventative care, especially for conditions lacking reliable measures, and actively seek or advocate for better strategies to address health problems early.
5. Re-center on Those Served
When facing difficulties or stress in your work, re-center yourself by focusing on the people you are serving and the privilege of being involved in their lives, recognizing their challenges are often greater.
6. Leverage High Expectations
Recognize and appreciate the high expectations from mentors and colleagues, as these can be a powerful driver to achieve beyond your perceived limits.
7. Focus on Systemic Improvement
In situations with suboptimal outcomes, focus discussions on what could be done better next time to improve the outcome, rather than assigning individual blame.
8. Take Personal Accountability
When presenting or discussing errors or suboptimal outcomes, take personal accountability for the situation, focusing on lessons learned rather than blaming others or external circumstances.
9. Recognize Systemic Improvement Opportunities
Adopt a philosophy that values recognizing opportunities for systemic and team improvement over assigning individual blame, fostering a culture where everyone works towards better outcomes.
10. Cultivate Patient-Focused Culture
Foster a culture that prioritizes what is right for the patient and sets a positive example for trainees, moving away from individual blame to ensure everyone’s efforts are aligned.
11. Seek Collaborative Team Environments
Gravitate towards team-collaborative activities and environments, as being part of a strong team can pull the best out of you and inspire you to give your best.
12. Maximize Every Opportunity
Approach significant life experiences, like training or new roles, with an obligation to maximize the entire experience, recognizing the privilege of the opportunity.
13. Embrace Challenging Service
Seek opportunities to serve people during their scariest or darkest moments, using your skills to help them navigate difficult times and solve problems.
14. Choose Service-Oriented Career
When choosing a career, consider pursuing something that serves other people, as this can be a fulfilling and impactful path.
15. Address Root Causes of Addiction
Recognize that conditions like alcohol-related liver disease, similar to the opiate crisis, are often behavioral diseases, and progress requires addressing the underlying reasons for self-medication and destructive cycles with appropriate attention and resources.
16. Deepen Health Knowledge
If you want to take your knowledge of health and wellness to the next level, consider joining the podcast’s membership program for more in-depth, exclusive content.