Navigating a Quandary in Kidney Exchange Programs: A Review of Donor Travel versus Organ Shipment.

ABSTRACT: In multicenter kidney exchange programs (KEPs), either the explanted kidney must be shipped, or the donor must travel to the transplanting center. This review describes the available data on these two approaches and formulates recommendations for practice. We searched for studies addressing organ shipment or donor travel in KEPs. Data were categorized into four domains: cold ischemia time (CIT), logistics, donor/recipient perspectives and professional perspectives. From 547 articles screened, 105 were included. Kidneys are shipped in most countries. Prolonged CIT due to shipment may increase the risk of delayed graft function, but does not seem to impact graft survival. Planning the shipment requires a robust logistical framework with guaranteed operating room availability. Donor travel is

SUBMITTER: Klaassen MF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12646967 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature