SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 22nd Oct (EUROPA PRESS) –
The University Hospital Complex of the Canary Islands (HUC), which operates under the Ministry of Health of the Canary Islands Government, has successfully conducted a total of 109 kidney transplants this year, which is twenty-six more than the entire year of 2023. Out of these, eleven transplants have been performed using a living donor (when a healthy individual donates one of their kidneys) and two involve both kidney and pancreas transplants.
The transplanted kidneys were sourced from other public hospitals within the Canary Islands and the mainland. The HUC expresses gratitude towards the families of the donors who have made these procedures feasible, as well as recognising the efforts of the extraction and transplant teams from various centres within the Autonomous Community, along with the hospital’s dedicated professionals who contributed their time and commitment.
Donations stemmed from instances of brain death, controlled asystole, living donors, and patients who have opted for euthanasia. Recently, there has also been an upsurge in patients signalling their wish to donate and expressing their intention in this respect. The average age of recipients stands at 58 years, with the youngest being 20 years old and the oldest reaching 79 years old.
It is noteworthy that within a span of nine days, from the end of September to October, a total of twelve kidney transplants were executed—a significant feat for all the professionals within the transplant team, at all times aiming to fulfil the wishes of families donating organs.
Since the inception of this Programme at HUC in 1981, a cumulative total of 3,338 kidney transplants has been conducted, which includes 123 renopancreatic transplants and 145 from living donors.
Undoubtedly, kidney transplantation stands as the most effective therapeutic solution for patients suffering from advanced chronic kidney failure, irrespective of the type of donation, and has established itself as a standard medical practice in numerous hospitals globally. It yields superior outcomes in terms of survival rates, life quality, and cost-efficiency when compared to dialysis treatment. However, due to the presence of additional medical conditions, not all individuals are suitable candidates for a kidney transplant.
Nevertheless, in light of the considerable number of donors and transplants within our Community, there remains an insufficiency of kidneys available for those in need of a transplant, thereby necessitating the exploration of every possible avenue for donations. This prompted the commencement of the Living Donor Kidney Transplant programme in the Canary Islands, specifically at the HUC, on 10th October 2007.
LIVING DONOR TRANSPLANTATION
Kidney transplants from living donors represent the optimal treatment choice for individuals with severe chronic kidney disease, facilitating earlier transplants prior to the onset of dialysis treatment. The primary benefit of this transplant method over deceased donor transplants is the heightened survival rates for both the kidney graft and the recipient.
The hospital also takes part in the National Cross-Kidney Transplant Programme launched by the National Transplant Organisation (ONT), which aims to provide those with chronic kidney failure the opportunity to receive a transplant from a living donor, courtesy of their partner, despite potential incompatibilities. The foundation of this initiative rests on the exchange of living kidney donors between two or more couples.
ABO-incompatible living donor kidney transplants are also performed, which serves as an alternative for patients who have a live donor but face blood group incompatibility, provided they fulfil the necessary safety criteria.
The HUC commenced its Renal Pancreatic Transplant Programme in May 2002, prompted by the high prevalence of diabetes and its associated complications within the Canary Islands, leading to the establishment of this Programme in the region.
