Introduction: Living kidney donors often live far from the recovering transplant center where they donate. We sought to determine (1) characteristics of these geographically distant, vs. local, living kidney donors, and (2) how often geographically distant donors complete portions of the donor evaluation at a closer/nearby transplant center, vs. at the recovering transplant center.

Methods: We examined the charts of living kidney donors who donated at our center from 2007-2010 and who lived within the U.S. but ≥150 miles from our transplant center (geographically distant donors, N=41). We matched these geographically distant donors to living kidney donors who lived <150 miles of our transplant center, selecting the two donors who donated immediately before and the two who donated immediately after the geographically distant donor (local donors, N=164).

Results: Geographically distant, vs. local, living kidney donors were similar in age at donation (45.7 vs 42.5 yrs, P=0.12) but differed in their gender (53.7% vs. 34.2% male, P=0.02) and their relationship with the recipient (P=0.003). Geographically distant, vs. local, donors, were less likely to be the spouse (0% vs. 20.7%) or parent (2.4% vs. 11.0%) and more likely to be the sibling (46.3% vs. 25.6%) or child (31.7% vs. 20.7%) of the recipient. Geographically distant, vs. local, donors differed in their race (P=0.003), with geographically distant donors more likely to be Black (39.0% vs. 15.9%, P=0.001). Among geographically distant donors, 9/41 (22.0%), 10/41 (24.4%), and 4/41 (9.8%) were able to have an initial evaluation by a transplant physician, transplant social worker, and independent living donor advocate at a nearby transplant center, respectively. 13/41 (31.7%) of geographically distant donors obtained the CT angiogram of their native kidneys at a nearby transplant center, rather than at the recovering center.

Conclusions: Few geographically distant donors had portions of their donor evaluation performed initially at a nearby transplant center. Living donors who are geographically distant, vs. local, were significantly more likely to be Black. Helping and allowing geographically distant living donors to complete portions of the donor evaluation at a nearby transplant center, rather than at the recovering transplant center, may facilitate living donation and help reduce racial disparities in living kidney donation.

« Back to 2015 American Transplant Congress