Newswise — San Diego, CA (November 6, 2015) — Traveling abroad to receive a kidney from a paid living donor at a commercial transplant center carries considerable risks, according to a study that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2015 November 3¬–8 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.
While the ethical aspects of transplant tourism—when patients travel abroad to purchase organs for transplants—have received much attention recently, less has been written about the medical safety of this practice. To assess this, investigators in Bahrain retrospectively evaluated the health outcomes of patients who purchased organs internationally and then came to their medical center for follow-up care between 1986 and 2014.
The study included 270 transplant recipients who were compared with 123 recipients of living related donor transplants. Among the 270 “commercial” recipients, the top 3 countries where patients underwent transplantation were the Philippines, India, and Pakistan. Compared with controls, commercial recipients were more likely to develop hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and cytomegalovirus, and they were more likely to experience acute and recurrent rejections and surgical complications. Overall 1- and 10-year survival rates of the transplanted organs in commercial recipients compared with controls were 91% and 22% vs. 98% and 44%. Corresponding patient survival rates were 96% and 70% vs. 98% and 78%.
“The data are consistent with other reports,” said Francis Delmonico, MD, who was not involved with the study and is the Executive Director of the Declaration of Istanbul Custodian Group. The Declaration was created in 2008 by an international team of experts to define organ trafficking, transplant tourism and commercialism, and achieve consensus regarding principles of practice and recommended alternatives to address the shortage of organs.
Study: “Kidney Transplantation Tourism: High risk and bad outcome for the recipients” (Abstract FR-PO1051)
Disclosures: The author reported no financial disclosures.
ASN Kidney Week 2015, the largest nephrology meeting of its kind, will provide a forum for more than 13,000 professionals to discuss the latest findings in kidney health research and engage in educational sessions related to advances in the care of patients with kidney and related disorders. Kidney Week 2015 will take place November 3–8, 2015 in San Diego, CA.The content of this article does not reflect the views or opinions of The American Society of Nephrology (ASN). Responsibility for the information and views expressed therein lies entirely with the author(s). ASN does not offer medical advice. All content in ASN publications is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions, or adverse effects. This content should not be used during a medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health care provider if you have any questions about a medical condition, or before taking any drug, changing your diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment. Do not ignore or delay obtaining professional medical advice because of information accessed through ASN. Call 911 or your doctor for all medical emergencies.
Founded in 1966, and with nearly 16,000 members, the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) leads the fight against kidney disease by educating health professionals, sharing new knowledge, advancing research, and advocating the highest quality care for patients.
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