Kidney Transplant and his Uncertain Path

It is probably safe to say that you haven’t thought about your kidney today… correct?

Maybe you should, your kidney is a pretty valuable thing… both in AND OUT of your body. That is because kidneys are the most sought after organ for transplants.

Right now more than 87,000 Americans are in need of a kidney transplant, 17,000 will likely receive a new kidney while 4600 will die because they did not get one in time.

The rarity of kidneys has got medical folks looking for answers.

The National Kidney Registry is trying educate people about kidney donor-ship (the living can make donations, not just the dead).

But there is unsettling news in the world of the kidney.

A new system for choosing potential kidney recipients is causing controversy.

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is considering altering the kidney transplant list. They are proposing to give priority for the healthiest kidneys to the younger and healthier patients.

Currently the system runs on a traditional waiting list format.

UNOS insists that “It’s an effort to get the most out of a scarce resource.”

But critics are shouting cries of age discrimination.

While UNOS hopes new kidneys in younger patients will give the valuable organs more mileage, critics fear the controversy might turn potential donors off.

Should you or a loved one be in need of a new kidney… where would you stand in this “waiting list” debate?