Repeat Living Organ Donor programs?

[Christine Robinson]

Hello all.

Since my Significant Canadian's second donation in 2010 (kidney 2010, liver 2009), I have researched the matter of repeat living organ donation, but never with any satisfaction.  I was against the concept at the time of Channy's kidney donation, and remain emphatically opposed to removing two major organs from a living recipient.

Does anyone know of U.S. or Canadian transplant centers (other than Toronto General) who have such a program?  This practice seems to be operating entirely off radar, and I'd really like to learn more about who is doing it and why, and to generate some public debate about it.

Any feedback off forum or on would be most appreciated.  Thanks.

Christine Robinson (Kidney Donor, 2007)
bsidechris@yahoo.com
christinerobinsonvoices.wordpress.com

[Michael]

Hi, Christine!

"Dual donors" are very rare, so I don't know that there are any formal "programs" for this kind of donation to my knowledge. Harry Kiernan is one person I know of who has donated both a kidney and portion of his liver. From his online bio it appears he donated a kidney at Hartford Hospital and his liver at Yale/New Haven Hospital.

Here's a link to his web site: http://www.livingorgandonors.org/about

Hope this helps.

[WilliamLFreeman]

Hi again, Christine,

As Michael said, dual donations are quite rare.  But they are not "off radar."

At the recent American Transplant Congress meeting in early June, a Poster presentation by A, Sharma & colleagues in the transplant center at Virginia Commonwealth University [Richmond, VA] reported about the 5 dual donors who made both liver and kidney living donations at VCU.  All had "thorough evaluations."  All "were well educated, successfully employed [people], with previous acts of donation [and] had excellent surgical and psychological outcomes."     All were "extremely motivated donors."  [Abstract #1047]  Please e-mail me if you want more specific info.

Bill

[Christine Robinson]

Thanks, Michael and Bill.

Very, very helpful! 

All the best to you both.
Chris