I’ve been wondering for awhile if kidney transplants are given once a person is past a certain age?
I’m in the U.S. and I have a cousin who had severe liver disease. She was 75 & the state she lived in didn’t perform liver transplants on anyone over 68. I checked with my state, & liver transplants aren’t performed past 70.
is this common with transplants, or just certain organs?
Very common. There are a lot of rules, not just age. Each center sets their own rules.
I seem to remember it was explained that the recipient's health is the important question. Is the patient over 70 healthy enough for major surgery? I had heard that sometimes low KPI kidneys are given to older and less healthy patients. The idea being that at least then they can get some improvement in quality of life for the time they have left. This also uses kidneys that someone who is young and expecting to live a long time yet might pass up (hoping for a better KPI).
I can't imagine a state setting an age limit. I could see a transplant center doing that, but an age number seems so arbitrary.
I think a lot of the decision boils down to your general physical health. If you look like you exercise and keep in shape, your chances are better of being accepted.
Depends on the transplant center. I’m in Virginia Sentara norfolk on there list it is 71 one day after that is the age . You can be on more than one transplant center I’m trying to get on another with a higher age range to stop.
Hop over to Richmond - it's only 1.5 hours away from Norfolk. We drove 2 hours to get there from the Winchester area. They're the largest transplant center in the Commonwealth. See my post below.
Yes I’m trying to get on there transplant list too but have not heard anything from them of yet.
Hang in there. VCU just called us out of the blue to come and visit the center...in the early morning. At that time, we were already on the transplant list at Inova in Fairfax so they accepted all those reports and added a heart cath to it. Following the heart cath, we were automatically on VCU's list too. By the way, VCU has "The Doorways" where you can stay at very nominal cost, even free for those in need. Crossing my fingers that you'll hear from them soon.
Hi! Transplant centers individually make that determination based on their level of technology, skillsets, supply of organs, etc. My hubby was transplanted at VCU in Richmond at the age of 71 after a year of dialysis. They had no age restrictions but did ask him to go through additional procedures like a heart cath. He also received a deceased donor kidney from an older individual and with "fixable" conditions. We quickly accepted it - we realized my hubby's lifespan was naturally shorter anyway because of his age. My husband was also listed at Inova in Fairfax with a much longer waitlist. The two centers shared lab reports. In doing your research, here are two sites that we found to be exceptionally useful:
It depends on the transplant center. Most don't do a deceased donor transplant past 71. However, if you have a living donor, most centers will do the transplant until you are in your mid 70's. I do know someone that received a kidney from her daughter at 75.
Thanks for all the responses. I didn’t realize it’s the transplant centers that set the guidelines. I always thought it was set by the states.
Listing for a transplant.
Transplant Insurance Coverage
Transplant list waiting. Mgus57
Kidney transplants at older age
It's official! Update on transplant! 
