It’s a good thing Selena Gomez, 25, now has the support of Justin Bieber, 23, again, as we recently learned she hasn’t been cured of Lupus, despite having undergone a risky kidney transplant earlier this year. “Kidney transplant only reverses the problem that Lupus created in the kidneys. It can control the Lupus, but can’t cure it. The medications that are used are enough to control the aspects of Lupus, like skin rash, joint pain and preventing Lupus from affecting the kidney. However, Lupus patients have slightly increased odds of the transplant failing over the course of 5 years. Up to a third of Lupus patients will lose the transplant over 5 years. Having one transplant doesn’t mean that [Selena] can’t have another at some point either, though having the kidney a living donor has higher chance of success versus a cadaver kidney,” Beverly Hills Rheumatologist Dr. David S. Hallegua tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. “The Lupus isn’t fully cured, it’s still present with her throughout her life. Selena will still have to take her medication and undergo treatment to suppress it.” HEAR MORE ABOUT JUSTIN AND SELENA IN OUR PODCAST HERE.
And Dr. Alana B. Levine agrees. She also tells us, “While the kidney transplant doesn’t actually cure her lupus (there is no cure for lupus), many lupus patients seem to have fewer lupus symptoms after a kidney transplant. Part of the reason for this may be the medications they are now taking to keep the body from rejecting the new kidney actually treat their other lupus symptoms too.” Fortunately, the odds of the Lupus returning are very slim. “Chances of the Lupus returning to transplanted kidney is very small. 1%. But, she must take the medicines that she needs to. it’s a foreign organ and has genetic markers that are different from the patient,” Dr. David S. Hallegua adds.
As we previously told you, Selena underwent a kidney transplant earlier this year, as she revealed the news on Sept. 14. “So I found out I needed to get a kidney transplant due to my Lupus and was recovering. It was what I needed to do for my overall health. I honestly look forward to sharing with you, soon my journey through these past several months as I have always wanted to do with you. Until then I want to publicly thank my family and incredible team of doctors for everything they have done for me prior to and post-surgery,” she wrote on Instagram, while thanking her good friend and donor, Francia Raisa.
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