Living donor transplant
When a living donor is identified, they will have an opportunity to meet with a transplant provider and coordinator to discuss the living donor process.
You and your donor will have a blood test. This is called cross matching and can be done on multiple potential donors at a time, although typically we test healthiest candidates first. In this blood test, the donor's blood cells are tested against the recipient's to determine if the recipient has any previously formed sensitivity to that donor.
When there is a reaction between the cells, the kidney would be rapidly rejected without aggressive desensitization, this is called a "positive crossmatch," and in most cases another donor must be found. No reaction between the cells is a "negative crossmatch," meaning a transplant can safely take place.
After testing and screening, the donor who is the best match will move forward towards the operative stage. Living donor surgeries, unlike deceased donor surgeries, can be scheduled with regard to donor and recipient convenience.
Deceased donor transplant
This type of donation occurs when a donor is near or at the end of life. In this case, the donor blood is tested against the recipient's blood, similar to living donor crossmatch, when they are selected in the match run from UNOS. In addition to blood test matching, recipients are selected based on a variety of factors including listing wait times and blood type.
Because it is impossible to determine when a donor will become available, the wait times to receive a deceased donor transplant can be several years. For this reason it is important that you have regular visits with the kidney transplant center to keep all of the candidate information and records up to date.
What to expect after your kidney transplant
After transplant, you and your support person will receive education on how to care for you and your newly transplanted kidney. You will meet with your care team - transplant surgeon, transplant nephrologist and the post transplant care team - twice a week. The frequency of visits change as you recover.
Lab work is completed with each appointment. Depending on your results, you may have other tests performed. You should bring your post-transplant binder to each visit. The clinic appointment time is a time for you to talk with your care team and ask questions. Consistent recipient follow-up is a necessary part of successful recipient and kidney transplant health.
