New paired kidney exchange program on cards

A new national paired kidney exchange program in which strangers may be able to swap kidneys to save their sick partners could boost live transplant rates by 100 operations a year within the next two years.

State and federal health ministers have agreed to a working party to investigate a national exchange program in which couples – the potential recipient and the kidney-donating but incompatible partner – can be matched with a compatible couple in a similar position.

In an innovative four-way operation a kidney would be removed from each donor and given to the other person’s partner. In October Australia’s first kidney exchange between stranger couples was performed in Perth after the state law that had prevented human tissue exchange was changed.

Kidney transplants sourced from living donors has risen from 8% in 1986 to 24% in 1996 to 43% last year. It regularly happens between spouses or relatives but cannot be carried out in up to 30% of cases because of incompatible blood or tissue types.

Nephrologist Paulo Ferrari told The Australian newspaper that a national program would develop a bigger pool of compatible donors and patients. “It gives patients a chance to have a kidney transplanted in a timely fashion and that can save lives. The question we ask is are you willing to give your kidney to a stranger in return for their partner giving a kidney to your loved one,” he said.