Objective: To assess the results of the paired, living donor, kidney exchange protocol in the Netherlands.
Design: Descriptive.
Methods: In January 2004, all 7 Dutch kidney transplantation centres implemented a paired, living donor, kidney exchange protocol for donor-recipient combinations in which direct kidney transplantation is not possible. The Dutch Transplantation Foundation is responsible for the allocation, in which new donor-recipient combinations are created in accordance with four allocation criteria: blood group, match probability, time on the waiting list, and age difference between the donors. The results of the first 2 years of this programme have now been assessed.
Results: From January 2004 until December 2005, the national programme registered a total of 116 donor-recipient combinations, including 62 blood type incompatible pairs and 54 positive cross-match pairs. In 8 matching procedures, 58 newly created donor-recipient combinations had negative cross matches. 49 patients (42%) were transplanted.
Conclusion: The Dutch living donor exchange programme for kidney transplantation appears to be very successful, with 42% effective transplantations in the first 2 years.