QUESTION: What is a kidney guard used for? - Joel K

ANSWER:

Thank you for asking, Joel. A kidney guard is a device worn around the torso to protect the individual’s kidney from injury following kidney transplant or other condition resulting in a single working kidney.

How does a kidney guard work? It protects the kidney by transferring forces away from the soft tissue surrounding the kidney and onto more stable areas, such as the ribs and pelvis.

What kind of kidney guards does Dankmeyer provide? Our kidney guards are custom made to each individual.  They consist of a thermoplastic material, covered in padding, and held on with a circumferential waist strap.

Does health insurance cover a custom kidney guard? It depends.  While kidney guards are not part of standard health insurance coverage, your particular insurance plan may provide a benefit.  At Dankmeyer, we can check to see if your insurance may approve a kidney guard.

Do you have off-the-shelf kidney guards? We do not sell any prefabricated kidney guards.  If you are looking for a simple kidney guard for sports that does not require custom fabrication, you may consider a google search for “kidney belt/guard/protector for sports.”

My doctor recommended a custom kidney guard.  How do I go about getting fitted for one?

Contact us at 410-636-8114 to schedule an appointment at any one of our Maryland locations.  You will need to bring the Rx from your doctor to the appointment.  We will schedule you with one of our certified orthotists, who will go over your medical history and take measurements and a mold of your torso.  Once the kidney guard has been authorized by insurance or other payment arrangements have been made, you will be scheduled back in for the fitting of your custom kidney guard.

- Angie Bryl, Dankmeyer Clinical Director

Do you have a question you would like to Ask Us? Email us at info@dankmeyer.com.