How Are The Surgical Procedures Performed? Transplant Surgeries Happen At The Same Time In Closed Loops
In closed-loop kidney paired donation, which usually involves exchanges between two, three, or more pairs, all surgeries happen at the same time to protect everyone involved.
The primary reasons for this requirement include:
- Eliminating the risk of donor withdrawal: Doing all surgeries at once ensures that no donor can change their mind after their recipient has already received a kidney from someone else in the exchange. This prevents the loop from breaking if someone backs out or something unexpected happens after the first surgeries.
- Guaranteeing fairness and security: Doing all the surgeries at the same time ensures every recipient in the group gets a transplant. In national programs, transplant teams coordinate to start anesthesia for everyone at the same time, which helps keep the process secure.
Operational sequence: In exchanges with two or three pairs, donor surgeries usually start at the same time, and recipient surgeries follow soon after. This way, all recipients receive their transplants safely, even when more than two pairs are involved.
