Because about 20 percent of people with blood type A are type A2, recipients who would otherwise not have a suitable living donor, may receive a living donor kidney transplant. The University of Minnesota continues as the largest kidney transplant program in the United States for children, with special emphasis on small children. University surgeons now perform 25 percent of the nation's infant kidney transplants and 10 percent of the renal transplants in children younger than 5 years of age. Surgeons perform nearly half of the pediatric renal transplants before dialysis becomes necessary, thus avoiding this difficult and expensive process. University researchers also are developing new immunosuppressive protocols that allow for increased success and decreased hospitalization.
Most donors are parents or family members.
University surgeons perform some 30 pediatric kidney transplants a year with excellent outcomes. While advances in transplantation have improved outcomes, there remains a critical shortage of donors. In addition, many patients are difficult to transplant due to the presence of antibodies against many donors. Also, a significant number of patients have a reactive crossmatch with their potential living donors and therefore must wait for a cadaver kidney. A new technique may lower the level of antibodies.