Living kidney donation | veterans affairs

For example, in the diagram above, Donor I (husband) wants to donate to his wife (Recipient I), but they do not have matching blood types. Donor II (sister) wants to donate to her brother

(Recipient II), but they are also not compatible. By “swapping” donors so that Donor I matches Recipient II and Donor II matches Recipient I, two transplants are made possible. For kidney

transplants there are three matchings that must happen between the donor and the recipient in order for the transplant to be successful. Usually the first test that is run is the blood

typing test. 1. BLOOD TYPING: It's preferable to get a kidney from a donor whose blood type matches or is compatible to the recipient’s.            RECIPIENT ABO  |  DONOR ABO

                   A                     |           A, O                    B                     |           B, O                    AB                  |           A, B, AB, O

                   O                    |           A2, O 2. TISSUE TYPING: If the donor and recipient blood types are compatible, the next step is a tissue typing test called human

leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing. This test compares genetic markers that increase the likelihood the transplanted kidney will last a long time. A good match means it is less likely that the

recipient’s body will reject the organ. 3. CROSSMATCH: The third and final matching test involves mixing a sample of the recipient’s blood with the donor's blood in the lab. The test

determines whether antibodies in the recipient’s blood will react against specific antigens in the donor's blood. INTERESTED IN BECOMING A LIVING DONOR? Make a difference in someone’s

life by becoming a live kidney donor. Learn more about the living kidney donation process by contacting the VA Houston Kidney Transplant program at 713-794-8767.