Deciding whether to accept the kidney
Once you have received the phone call that there may be a kidney available for you, there may be further issues to think about. Your doctors will need to assess the compatibility, the safety, as well as the quality (likely survival) of the kidney that is being offered for donation.
Some of these issues may involve possible risks to your health. For example, it is discovered that the donor had suffered from cancer or other infection.
In recent years there are more kidneys coming from elderly donors who may had illnessess such as high blood pressure, diabetes or a history of smoking. In some cases, donors may have had a history of taking illegal drugs.
All these factors need to be taken into account by your doctors or by yourself. The quality of the kidney being offered may also influence the decision to go ahead with the transplant.
You may have to decide whether it's best to accept an immediately available, but less-than-ideal deceased donor kidney or take the chance and wait for a healthier one in the future.
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