My donor is incompatible, now what?
The best option for those with renal failure is a preemptive living donor kidney transplant. Unfortunately, many patients have family members or friends that wish to donate but preliminary testing reveals that they are either blood type or tissue type (HLA) incompatible. In this situation, patients and their donors have two options: enter a donor exchange program to find a compatible donor. undergo desensitization to remove the incompatible antibodies Donor exchanges There are two large nationwide donor exchange programs in the United States: OPTN kidney paired donation pilot program National Kidney Registry (NKR) Transplant Candidates that are receiving care at a U.S. transplant hospital, and are on the national organ transplant waiting list can join. They do not have to be on dialysis but must have a living donor who is willing to donate a kidney. The donor must be at least 18 years old and be willing to take part in a paired donation...