To wonder why there aren't more paired kidney donations?

[HavelockVetinari]

A lot of people are waiting for a kidney, but their nearest and dearest aren't a compatible match. Surely most people have someone who would donate for them, who could be matched to another donor/recipient who match up? I understand these arrangements are incredibly rare, but I'm not really sure why. Is there no organisation that facilitates it?

N.B. this isn't a goady thread, I understand donation carries serious risks, and of course no-one should ever be pressured into donating or do so against their better judgement.

@candycane22 You not got school tomorrow?

I worked with someone who did this , he received a couple of thousand pounds for doing it but had no links to the recipient

• @candycane22*. The daily mail called. §

A friend of mine was a live kidney donor for a stranger; he has unfortunately suffered some lasting complications from the surgery and has made a very slow recovery (some effects he is unlikely to recover from). He and his wife have suffered emotionally and financially and their relationship has been troubled by it. He has had both physical and mental health problems. Whilst it is not something that I would rule out it certainly needs exceptionally careful thought.

OP, it not not as simple as - you need a kidney I've got one spare here you go!

If it is something that interests you there is a lot of information easily accessible.

I have looked into it and the only person I would do this for would be ds.

I'd volunteer to save the life of someone I love, because the risks would be outweighed by the positives. There's no way I'd risk surgery and complications for a stranger. I can't be that rare in that view.

Surely the point is by donating yourself you'd allow your loved one to have a kidney from somebody else's loved one.

I need a kidney.. only 2 people I know are being tested, both family. None of my friends have volunteered and I could never ask them. It's a huge undertaking; what if something went wrong? Also the process is long and difficult. Testing usually takes a minimum of 6 months...

Isn't OP essentially talking about giving away one of your kidneys so your loved one can get one? Ie not an altruistic donation as such. Some of the replies sound like people think she means giving one to a stranger out of kindness and with no benefit to oneself.

Well, yes, I did think that, because a kind of swapping system wasn't mentioned clearly in the OP. She said someone who would donate for someone they know, but isn't a match, could be matched to someone else instead.

My godmother did this. Her husband donated to the other recipient and their loved one donated to her. She's doing brilliantly now she's recovered from surgery, from a position where she was running on 10% kidney function. Her husband is also recovering really well after donating. When it works it's a great scheme.

He was quizzed extensively to make sure he wasn't being coerced, which is hilarious because anyone who knows him knows he's never been coerced into anything in his entire life 😂

My exH had a kidney donated from his mum which lasted 27 yrs but he is now waiting for another one which may be donated by my son. ExMIL hasn't had any problems since. My mum donated one of her kidneys to my younger brother - she didn't have any complications either but this one didn't last so long so my other brother donated his in a 4 way swap as he wasn't able to be a direct match.

NHS only do a matching 'run' about twice a year so waiting for someone other than a direct match is difficult. Anyone can pull out of the 'swap' at any time - my donating brother was already anaesthetised when the first set up couldn't go ahead - it was 2 years before another set up could be arranged.

There are also cases where people have received a non family transplant and subsequently diagnosed with cancer which may have happened via the transplant. In earlier transplants they didn't accept organs from those with cancer and/or other serious conditions regulations have changed probably because a transplant is much cheaper than maintaining someone on dialysis.

I've always thought if my siblings ever needed one i would hand over a kidney in an instant. But now I have children of my own there's a voice in the back of my head saying I would want to keep my "spare" in case DS or DD ever needed it. I'm sure there are a lot of people like that.

Things I already do tho:

• donate blood & breast milk

Things I would do for my siblings in an instant:

• carry a child (eg an implanted embryo created using their & their partners gametes)
• give bone marrow

My sibling has lupus. Even if she could donate, I'd not take it from her. I'd be afraid of complications from the op. Her husband has bad cardiovascular disease - he has a defib and stents - and needs her so much.

I would think that some kidney problems are genetic so in those cases it would be hard to find a relative who is a match and also has 2 healthy kidneys themselves. Also it's major surgery. I would do it for my dc but nobody else.

A specialist at Guys Hospital is doing a study about non family donors & so far it looks as though people who donate on an altruistic basis (where you don't know the person you've donated to) have a much more positive view of the outcome.

I guess this might be because they just assume everything has gone well for the person who received the kidney. They won't be aware of the long uphill battle that happens afterwards with the risk of rejection & ongoing intensive hospital visits.