The Penn Transplant Institute at the University of Pennsylvania has set a new world record for completing 100 Kidney Paired Donation (KPD) transplants in a year. KPD transplants involve coordinating paired exchanges between donor-recipient pairs to ensure each recipient receives a compatible transplant. In Penn’s 100th kidney transplant, recipient Rich Green and his brother-in-law, Jason Kingsborough, were linked with a donor-recipient pair in Los Angeles. The KPD program allows for an increase in the volume of living donor kidney transplants and offers benefits such as shorter wait times, higher compatibility, and increased longevity compared to deceased donor kidney transplants.
Medical Director of the Penn Kidney Living Donor Program, Amanda Leonberg-Yoo, described reaching 100 paired kidney donations as an “incredible milestone.” While the milestone is impressive, Penn’s Kidney Living Donor Program has helped more than the 100 transplant pairs. The program aims to ensure safe and equitable access to living kidney donation for both potential donors and recipients, giving hope to those in need of kidney replacement therapy. Penn’s Kidney Transplant Program has become the largest program in the region, consistently performing over 70 living donor kidney transplants each year.
