How Do I Switch to an NKR Center for a Living Donor Transplant?
Many individuals facing kidney failure are looking for ways to increase their chances of finding a suitable living donor. If you’re currently registered with a transplant center that is not affiliated with the National Kidney Registry (NKR), you might want to consider switching to an NKR Member Center. Here’s what you need to know about switching centers and how to determine if making a change is the right choice for you.
Registering with the NKR
If you’re already listed at a different transplant center, the process of switching to an NKR center is now much easier with the NKR’s new PASS system. Previously, patients who wanted to switch had to do their own research to find a new center, then call the center directly to register—a time-consuming and sometimes confusing process.
The PASS system offers a streamlined, one-stop solution. All you need to do is register online with the NKR. Once you complete the registration process, you’ll be prompted to do the necessary workup labs. You’ll need to go to a local lab for blood work.
Once your labs are processed and the results come in, you can choose an NKR Member Center. You’ll be given a list of nearby NKR centers to choose from based on your ZIP code. There are more than 100 NKR Member Centers spanning 35 states and the District of Columbia, so you’ll be able to find a center that’s conveniently located.
The NKR will then send your referral to the center of your choice, and the center’s transplant team will contact you to go over the next steps.
Why Choose an NKR Center?
In addition to participating in the NKR’s living donor program, the largest paired donation program in the world, NKR Member Centers are required to adhere to strict requirements and guidelines to maintain their membership, which means you can count on NKR centers having the latest medical technology and providing high-quality care.
If you need help finding a living donor, you can opt to register with one of the {{numMicrosites}} NKR centers that participate in the microsite program. The microsite program is a free service that helps kidney patients find living donors. It provides patients with personalized websites, educational materials, coaching, and business cards to help them find a donor.
Having a microsite can significantly reduce the wait time for a transplant: 34% of patients with a microsite achieve a living donor transplant within two years.
Do You Have to Contact Your Old Center to Tell Them You’re Switching?
You are under no obligation to contact your previous center to tell them you have registered with a new center. While the new center will put you on the deceased donor list before it starts the process of looking for a living donor, you can also stay on the deceased donor list through the old center—there is no need to close your record there or ask them to remove you from their deceased donor list.
Being on the Waitlist at Multiple Centers
Being on the waitlist at multiple transplant centers is called multi-listing, and it is not only legal, it is quite common, especially for patients seeking a deceased donor kidney.
In the U.S., there is a single national list for deceased organ donations, but kidneys are typically distributed on a local and regional basis. By being listed in multiple states or regions, you may increase your chances of receiving a deceased donor transplant offer. Some individuals choose to list with multiple centers in the hopes of receiving a deceased donor offer faster.
While multi-listing may offer benefits for deceased donor transplants, it does not offer any advantages for living donor transplants through the NKR. The NKR does not facilitate deceased donor transplants. If you are registered with the NKR and find a living donor willing to donate on your behalf through the Voucher Program, the NKR looks for a matching donor throughout the U.S. When it finds a match, if necessary, it will transport the kidney to your center, regardless of where in the country it is located.
If you register with an NKR center while remaining on the waitlist for a deceased donor kidney at another center, you could find yourself in a position where you are actively searching for a living donor at the NKR center, only to have the previous center identify a deceased donor match. In that case, you must decide whether to proceed with the deceased donor transplant at the old center or wait for a living donor transplant at the new center.
Deciding between the two options depends on factors like the match quality, the longevity of the donor kidney, and your overall health. A living donor transplant can often provide a better quality of life and long-term health benefits (see our blog post on Living Donor Kidneys vs Deceased Donor Kidneys).
If you are faced with this choice, you should discuss the options with your medical team and your family and consider how urgently you need a transplant.
To register with the NKR, visit https://register.nkr.org/.