The Living Donor Institute
The crisis in renal transplantation continues to grow as the number of patients on the waiting list exceeds the number of available organs. In response, the world-class Renal and Pancreas Transplant Division has created New Jersey’s first and only Living Donor Institute. The Institute is designed to promote living donation as the best transplant option for patients with chronic kidney disease who are either on or approaching dialysis.
Through the Institute, our team of surgeons, transplant physicians, nurse coordinators, dietitians, social workers and pharmacists is able to forge new opportunities for people who want to donate a healthy kidney to someone in need of a transplant.
The Big Ask: The Big Give, Finding a Living Donor
The Living Donor Institute provides the following:
- An experienced team
- Surgical innovation - advanced minimally invasive surgical techniques that reduce pain and complications for kidney donors
- Coordination of the screening process for donors who reside out-of-state or out of the country
- Live From--Kidney Transplant, in collaboration with the Liberty Science Center and The Sharing Network of New Jersey, introduces students to the world of kidney transplant through live, real-time telecast.
- Research aimed at furthering living donation as the best option for patients with chronic kidney disease
Expanding Living Donation Options
Kidney transplantation is an option available to patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who are either on or approaching dialysis. Kidneys can come from deceased donors or living donors. Finding the right donor is important in order to maximize the survival of the new kidney.
The Transplant Division offers a comprehensive kidney transplant program which includes an increasing number of innovative living donation techniques available at only a few of the world’s leading transplant centers. Many of these options present opportunity for those whose medical conditions previously prevented transplantation.
Transplant candidates meet team members, talk with transplant recipients, and learn about kidney transplantation at small informal education sessions. Blending the most modern technology and resources with attentive personalized care, the Living Donor Institute provides comprehensive support for patient and their families throughout the process of obtaining a transplant and maintaining a healthy organ.
Living Donation Options include:
- Living Related Donor Transplantation
- Emotionally-Related Donor Transplantation
- Kidney Paired Donation (patients who have a willing living donor that is not compatible to them)
- Altruistic Living Donation
- Compatible Share Program
- Program for Incompatible Transplants (ABO and HLA incompatible donor/recipient pairs)
Benefits of Living Donation
- Recipients receive an enhanced quality of life immediately after receiving a live donor kidney transplant.
- A live donor kidney can last about twice as long, on average, as a deceased donor kidney.
- A willing donor receives tremendous emotional benefit by fulfilling their wish to donate.
- The gift of a live donor kidney allows the recipient to come off the transplant waiting list thereby allowing someone else to receive a deceased donor kidney.
Better Outcomes
Our Renal and Pancreas Transplant Division is one of the largest programs in the country. Our patient and transplant survival rates are better than or consistent with national averages.
Video
In 2016, Bob Williams was diagnosed with kidney failure after several years of living with type 2 diabetes. After posting a message on Facebook in search of a living donor for his kidney transplant, Kim Roumes stepped up.