Kidney exchange in Australia, 2011

Two reports about transplantation in Australia are now available for 2011:

The 2011 Organ Donation and Transplantation Performance Report is available at www.donatelife.gov.au/the-authority/performance-reports.

The 2011 Report from the Australian and New Zealand Organ Donation Registry is available at www.anzdata.org.au.

The first of those includes the following:

"The Australian Paired Kidney Exchange (AKX) Program commenced in late 2010. The AKX Program complements existing living kidney donor programs, and provides an opportunity for transplant to those patients who are unlikely to receive a transplant through standard programs, due to their highly sensitised antibody status.

"2011 saw a significant expansion of the AKX Program, resulting in 23 additional kidney transplants. Eight (35%) of those Australians who received an AKX transplant had less than a 1 in 10 chance to receive a kidney as part of standard donation/transplantation programs.

"The success rate of 23 actual transplants, from the initial 39 possible transplants in Australia, was one of the highest in the world in 2011.

"The 16 individuals who did not progress to transplant did not proceed for clinical reasons."