Our involvement with the National Kidney Registry

CHOP’s involvement with the National Kidney Registry (NKR) increases access to well-matched living donors. Living donors are screened head to toe, ensuring that the kidney is from a healthy individual.

When it comes to kidney transplantation, there’s an important difference based on age: Pediatric patients have a higher rate of living donors than adults. Data from 2015 shows:

• For all ages of kidney transplant patients, less than 30% were from living donors
• For pediatric patients, nearly 50% were from living donors

CHOP’s involvement with the NKR, through a partnership with Penn Medicine, increases our patients’ access to living kidney donor options, creating better overall outcomes for patients.

CHOP is one of only a few pediatric transplant centers in the country involved with the NKR.

Organ donor awareness

While we have no way of knowing how long your child will have to wait for a compatible kidney, you should know that where CHOP is located can make a difference for patients. Organ donation awareness is high in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware region, due largely to education by state governments in partnership with the region’s organ procurement organization, Gift of Life Donor Program. In fact, Gift of Life has the highest organ procurement rate in the nation.

State-of-the-art facilities

After the kidney transplant, your child will be cared for in CHOP’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), one of the nation's largest and best-equipped PICUs. The unit's expert critical care staff is specifically trained in the care of transplant patients, as well as a variety of other critically ill children. The PICU staff will work closely with the transplant team to care for your child.

When it’s time to leave the PICU, your child will be transferred to a medical unit where the nursing staff also has special training in care for patients who have received a kidney transplant. Our team of kidney doctors, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and dietitians provides education and support to you and your child so that you feel confident in caring for your child at home before you leave the hospital. Our specialists will also consult with your child's pediatrician or family doctor regularly to give updates on your child's progress.

Our volumes and outcomes

An important fact for your family to know is the number of transplants done here and our transplant survival rates.

The number of transplants done here in a recent five-year period:

• 2023: 24 transplants
• 2022: 15 transplants
• 2021: 18 transplants
• 2020: 15 transplants
• 2019: 15 transplants

For patients age 0 to 17, our kidney graft survival rates (the transplanted organ continues to function) are 100% at one month and one year post-transplant. For the same age group, our patient survival rates are 100% at one month and one year post-transplant. (Source: Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients)

Family-centered care

Each team member knows this is a difficult time for your family. While we cannot ease all the emotional stress you are under, we will do everything we can to help you cope. We know that clear communication about your child's illness and progress is especially important, so we make this a priority. We help you understand what is going to happen so you know what to expect. Our psychologists and social workers are important members of our team.

We can also help you address practical matters, such as dealing with the financial issues related to transplant and follow-up care. If you have any concerns or needs, please don't hesitate to ask any team member.