How to chose a transplant program?

[EEG73]

My husband and I have both decided to become donors. Because we are non-directed donors, we need to select a transplant program to get started. We happen to have a Mayo Clinic in our community, but there is also a transplant program at our local teaching hospital. We are certain that both are high quality programs and are starting with a belief that as donors, we can't go wrong either way. My thought is more about the recipients - specifically about health equity.

Can anyone offer insights into the matching system that would help me decide?

Mayo does far more surgeries each year, but do they only work with recipients with private insurance?

Are recipients tied to centers in the way that donors are?

Does each center work through their own waiting list?

My thought is that perhaps donating through the teaching hospital might be a more equitable approach. Is that true at all?

[GreenHawaii]

Loma Linda University Hospital 25845 Barton Rd, Loma Linda, CA 92354

has a great living kidney transplant program and also has medical students. My brother is on waiting list for kidney, hopefully I'll lose my weight so I can donate mine, but any other match would be a blessing. 😊

[DSKdonor NKF Ambassador]

WOW - altruistic donors... and not just one of you, but two! DOUBLE WOW! AMAZING of BOTH of you!!

You have excellent questions, no doubt about that. Wanting your kidney(s) to each go to a person(s) who perhaps would have a lesser of a chance than others is even more admirable!

I would suggest that you go to each of the facilities and ask your questions to the transplant coordinators. See how they each answer and then make your decision. My guess is that they will say the person to receive a donation from you would be the one who is the best match scientifically, not necessarily by socio-economic or by age as criteria, but that's just my hunch. I also believe you will NOT KNOW who the recipient would be other than perhaps VERY BASIC information (like a young female or middle aged male)....

Best of luck!

Feel free to post back with any updated information!

[shimaa2173]

MY DAD NEEDS A KIDNEY AND BECAUSE HIS BLOOD TYPE O , ITS HARD TO FIND ONE, IF ANY ONE OF YOU IS O CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME

[PUMPINGIRON42]

Are either of you Blood Type O? My husband needs a kidney and he's an O.