Victorian Man’s Kidney Donation Saves Seven Lives in a Day

The largest ever paired kidney exchange took place which involved six hospitals across NSW and Victoria states in Australia.

Paul Bannan’s kidney donation has started a chain of events that resulted in seven lives being saved on one day. The Victorian man had come to donate a kidney for his compatible friend Rob Cairns in 2011.

But before Bannan was ready to donate, Cairns received a kidney from a deceased donor. But he decided to stay on the program of donation. Before he was allowed to donate, Bannan had to undergo a complete lifestyle transformation.

Chain of Kidney Donations Followed a Good Gesture
A 35-year old North Carolina resident’s decision to donate her kidney to a stranger kick started a chain of kidney donations.

‘A paired kidney exchange occurs when a living kidney donor is incompatible with the recipient, and so exchanges kidneys with another donor or recipient pair.’

"My GP wanted me to cut down the smoking, watch my cholesterol, drop the sugar out of my diet,” said Bannan.

Last month, Australia's largest ever paired kidney exchange took place which involved six hospitals across two states. This record-breaking operation was only possible through the kidney donation made by Paul.

Usually a kidney donation occurs between two people who know each other. But in the case of a paired kidney exchange, patients with willing donors who are incompatible swap donor kidneys.

Debate: Should Kidney Donation to Strangers be Encouraged?
In UK, at least three people die a day in need of kidney transplant thus provoking to take sides if doctors should encourage their patients to put themselves at risk for the benefit of others?

Professor Steve Holt, the director of nephrology at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, said, "With the paired kidney exchange we often facilitate two transplants, or perhaps three transplants but seven is the biggest transplant chain we've managed to date in Australia."

Victorian and NSW hospitals took part in a paired kidney exchange, involving six hospitals which has saved seven lives in one day. Surgeons performed 14 separate operations to remove and transplant kidneys, with flights organized to deliver the organs to and from Melbourne and Sydney.

Source-Medindia

Kidney Donation may be too Expensive for Potential Donors With Low Income
Living kidney donation has declined over the past several years and this has caused concern and is poorly understood.