What is a Paired Exchange Kidney Donation?
A paired exchange donation consists of two kidney donor/recipient pairs whose blood types are not compatible. For example, perhaps there are two children who both need a kidney transplant. Their fathers are willing to donate their kidneys, but they are not compatible matches with their children. The two child recipients could trade donors if there is a cross match. In other words, each child recipient could receive a kidney from the other child’s father If they have compatible blood types. Once the evaluations of all donors and recipients are completed, the two kidney transplant operations could be scheduled to occur at the same time.
