Kidney Swap Transplant - An Emerging Option For Patients With Incompatible Living Donors

Today, kidney failure is a major healthcare problem.

Also called end-stage renal disease (ESRD), it is the last stage of chronic kidney disease caused by High Blood sugar, High Blood Pressure and other diseases that permanently damage to the kidneys, little by little, over time.

In the last decade, Paired Kidney Exchange (PKE) or Swap Transplantation has gained popularity worldwide as a viable alternative for end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients who have incompatible or sensitized donors.

Dr. Mangala Kumar of Kovai Medical Center & Hospital (KMCH), Coimbatore explains the procedure and of Kidney Swap Transplant and benefits of timely transplant.

Kidney exchange or ‘swap’ is a simple barter system. It is a ‘give and take’ deal between two pairs of people, each pair consisting of a donor and recipient, where each pair benefits by receiving a suitable kidney. These pairs are such that they cannot ordinarily donate to each other. This could happen because of blood group incompatibility or a cross match (tissue) incompatibility.

What is Kidney Swap Transplant:

Kidney Swap Transplant allow the patient to get a kidney from another donor, who is not a match for their intended recipient. If the recipient from one pair is compatible with the donor from the other pair, and vice versa– the transplant center may arrange for a “swap”–for two simultaneous transplants to take place. This allows two transplant candidates to receive organs and two donors to give organs though the original recipient/donor pairs were unable to do so with each other.

Eligibility for Donor: