Injured kidneys may be more viable for transplant than previously thought

A new study led by Yale University in New Haven, CT, overturns previous thinking that injured kidneys from deceased donors are not fit for transplant. The study suggests that such kidneys may be more viable for transplant than is commonly assumed, and as there is a growing demand for organ transplants, they should be considered for use.

Dr. Chirag R. Parikh, director of the Program of Applied Translational Research at Yale and senior author of the study, says that "the waiting list has grown to over 100,000 patients as thousands more people are wait-listed each year than actually receive a transplant."

"In addition," Dr. Parikh adds, "the median time it takes for an adult to receive a transplant in the United States increased from 2.7 to 4.2 years between 1998 and 2008, and more than 5,000 people die each year while waiting for a kidney."