Choosing the Best Kidney for Transplantation

Organ transplantation is subject to the law of supply and demand in which demand for organs far outweighs supply from both living and deceased donors.

But results from a new, nationwide Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) study led by University of Michigan Health System researchers may offer new hope to some patients with end-stage renal disease waiting for a kidney transplant.

The study found that the growing use of organs from expanded criteria donors (ECD) - older donors and those with certain pre-existing kidney or other medical problems whose kidneys were often not used in the past - is not only adding to the pool of kidneys available for transplantation, but also increasing the chances for survival for certain patients with end-stage renal disease depending on their age, how long they would need to wait for a donor organ and the severity of their kidney disease.

Results from this study are published in the Dec. 7 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).