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First three-way kidney transplant exchange in NZ

Author
Bruce Russell ,
Publish Date
Mon, 24 Oct 2016, 2:38PM
The country's first three-way kidney transplant exchange was carried out earlier this month (Getty Images).
The country's first three-way kidney transplant exchange was carried out earlier this month (Getty Images).

First three-way kidney transplant exchange in NZ

Author
Bruce Russell ,
Publish Date
Mon, 24 Oct 2016, 2:38PM

UPDATED 6.40PM: A ground-breaking three-way kidney exchange is being hailed as a potential game-changer for those seeking a transplant.

The country's first three-way kidney transplant exchange was carried out earlier this month and allowed three live donors to be matched with compatible kidney patients.

Dr Nick Cross, clinical director of the National Renal Transplant Service, said it allows a possible donor and a recipient to be matched with another possible donor and a recipient, creating a transplant exchange.

He says these kidney transplants are very valuable as often patients in the exchange are particularly difficult to find a donor for.

Auckland Hospital's Dr Ian Dittmer said the kidney exchange was a big team effort. 

Mr Dittmer said this exchange is significant for people on the kidney transplant list who have lots of antibodies that might cause rejection of the transplant. 

"We can swap the kidneys between the two donors and the recipient. So Mr A would give to Mrs B and Mr B would give to Mrs A and this time we've done it between three pairs of people."

Dr Dittmer said hundreds of staff worked on the six patients' cases.

"It takes an awful lot of coordination. There's a lot of people in all the different hospitals who are participating and that, doing the laboratory tests, making sure all the logistics work properly - so we can get the kidneys from one hospital to another."

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman said it was an important step towards increasing kidney transplant numbers.

147 were carried out last year.

All patients in this three-way exchange are recovering well from surgery.

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