Kidney living donor: a French specialist suggests exchanging organs between donor couples / receiver

Exchanges of kidney transplants between donor / recipient couples deserve to be offered opportunities to increase transplant from living donor, suggested Professor Gerard Benedict Hospital Bicetre
During the 19th Day Bicetre on organ for transplantation, samples for different tracks progress against the backdrop of persistent shortages have been made, especially for living donors.

Dr. Benedict, head of the urology department, said the reduction in willingness to donate an organ family circle and explains this by the decrease in genetic families and aging parents. "We must therefore think to be exchanged between couples donor / recipient" he suggested to his colleagues.

To support his claim, he cited the case of a transplant performed in a patient on dialysis since 1990 whose condition was deteriorating and that transplantation from cadaveric donor was impossible. Her husband, who agreed to give him a kidney, was luckily group O. Transplantation has been performed. "But it was not group O, she would not have a donor."

There are many situations where a recipient has, in his entourage, a donor who is unfortunately incompatible. In parallel, other couples donor / recipient can experience the same situation. "Why not make exchanges between couples?" suggested the professor, adding that these samples should be done at the same time to avoid a cancellation. The donor of the first pair and give his kidney to the recipient of the second pair and vice versa.

This practice of indirect gift is already in the United States with 302 transplants performed since the first in 1998. In France, it is for eggs.

For the specialist, it is "really a solution. Should go in that direction. This could be done in an organized, managed by the Biomedicine Agency." The gift of course remain anonymous and free.

Asked about the proposed overseas to all couples in a joint program to increase the chances of finding a match strategy, Professor Benedict felt it was better to "start simple" by exchanges between the two couples.

Questioned, Jacky Claquin the Biomedicine Agency found that was very far from using all possible living donor within a larger circle. The vast majority of donations made between first-degree relatives. Very few donations are made from the in-laws, uncles, aunts and cousins.

The Director of the Biomedicine Agency says it "considers this proposal with interest." A working group on the subject could be put in place, but "it is necessary to engage in ethical reflection," admitted Dr. Benoit.