New Zealand’s first three way kidney operation has been a success.
A three-way kidney exchange is where you have three pairs – three lots of donors and recipients – each pair is not a match but between the three pairs you’re able to get compatible matching so that all the recipients are able to receive a perfectly-matched kidney.
Health Minister Jonathan Coleman said often people were keen to help a friend or loved one in need of a new kidney but were not a match.
That means the donor can’t give the kidney to a recipient. So instead you match them up with another donor and recipient in exactly the same situation and you do a cross-match.
The success has raised hopes that more, and quicker, transplants can now be done.
147 kidney transplants were carried out in New Zealand last year.
But there’s many more hundreds of people who are waiting for a kidney.
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that will save so many lives?