Some patients in need of kidney transplants are presented with the obstacle of not having suitable matches for living donation. One or more people in their lives may be willing to donate, but they are not compatible because of blood type or positive crossmatch. A new trend in kidney exchanges, or swaps, helps these patients still receive the lifesaving transplants they need, and gives their donors the opportunity to still give the gift of life.
In kidney exchanges, incompatible pairs of potential recipients and donors are matched with similar pairs in which the donors are compatible with one another's recipients. Thus, two lives are still saved through kidney transplantation and the ultimate gifts two people are willing to give to save their loved ones.
Methodist performed its first donor exchange in October of 2008 in a unique circumstance.
