Submitted by Joan Lando, Mar 4, 2008 20:07

After the Cedars-Sinai High Dose IVIG Protocol went through National Institute of Health trials successfully and proved it was beneficial in helping people accept incompatible kidneys, the FDA approved the Cedars IVIG protocol in 2004. It is the only protocol for incompatible kidney transplantsthat is FDA approved and since the FDA approved it, Medicare agreed to pay for the protocol at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles for any patient who needs it in order to accept a kidney from a donor who is a positive cross match who would normally be turned down. Patients who have donors who are a different blood type are treated by plasmapheresis and IVIG at Cedars and this is also paid for by Medicare. At Cedars there are no barriers of blood type or tissue match. Any transplant center can use the Cedars-Sinai High dose IVIG Protocol and Medicare will pay for it, but they have to show Medicare they have learned the Cedars protocol and are following it. Stanford University is now using the Cedars-Sinai Protocol. Many centers offer "IVIG" but it is their own version, unproven by NIH trials and Medicare will not reimburse them and the patient is asked to pay for it--up to $40,000 for an unproven protocol. Anyone can call Cedars for an evaluation if they have an incompatible living donor. 310-423-2641. Go to Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKCab7Y2Ts for more information.

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