Living Donation Facts

Program Standards

A transplant program must meet certain criteria to be qualified as a designated live donor transplant program to receive organs for transplantation.

Live Donor Kidney Transplant Centers

A live kidney donor transplant center must demonstrate the following:

a) That the center meets the qualifications of a renal transplant center as set forth in UNOS By-Laws Appendix B, Attachment 1, Section XII.; and

In order to perform open donor nephrectomies, a qualifying renal donor surgeon must be on site and must meet the criteria of (i) and/or (ii) below:

  • (i) Completed an accredited ASTS fellowship with a certificate in kidney, or
  • (ii) Performed no fewer than 10 open nephrectomies (to include deceased donor nephrectomy, removal of polycystic or diseased kidneys, etc.) as primary surgeon or first assistant within the prior five-year period.

b) If the center wishes to perform laparoscopic donor nephrectomies, a qualifying renal donor surgeon must be on site and must have:

  • (i) Acted as primary surgeon or first assistant in performing no fewer than 15 laparoscopic nephrectomies within the prior 5-year period.

If the laparoscopic and open nephrectomy expertise resides within different individuals then the program must demonstrate how both individuals will be available to the surgical team. It is recognized that in the case of pediatric living donor transplantation, the live organ donation may occur at a center that is distinct from the approved transplant center.

All surgical procedures identified for the purpose of surgeon qualification must be documented. Documentation should include the date of the surgery, medical records identification and/or UNOS identification number, and the role of the surgeon in the operative procedure.

Live Donor Liver Transplant Programs

A live liver donor transplant center must demonstrate the following:

a) That the center meets the qualifications of a liver transplant center as set forth in UNOS By-Laws B, Section III; and

b) That the center has on site no fewer than two surgeons who qualify as liver transplant surgeons under UNOS By-Laws B, Section III (C)(2)(a) and who have demonstrated experience as the primary surgeon or first assistant in 20 major hepatic resectional surgeries (to include living donor operations, splits, reductions, resections, etc.), seven of which must have been live donor procedures within the prior five-year period. These cases must be documented. Documentation should include the date of the surgery, medical records identification and/or UNOS identification number, and the role of the surgeon in the operative procedure. It is recognized that in the case of pediatric living donor transplantation, the live organ donation may occur at a center that is distinct from the approved transplant center.




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