Mayo Clinic reviews kidney donor eligibility in recent Q&A

In a recent Q&A with a potential donor looking to donate a kidney to their spouse, Mayo Clinic reviews eligibility requirements. They also developed their own extension of eligibility regulations.

Mayo Clinic cited the most recent Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network updates to living donor criteria, stating that people with type 2 diabetes can donate a kidney if they meet certain standards:

• Organs must not be damaged
• There must be no complication risk

With patient safety in mind, Mayo Clinic announced their extension of the above requirements. They added that potential donors with type 2 diabetes must:

• Be at least 60
• Not use insulin to manage their diabetes
• Meet certain weight standards
• Not have a background of relatives with kidney disease
• Consent to an extensive health and risk evaluation before donating

The goal of this action is to make kidneys more accessible to those who need them. Mayo Clinic emphasized, “The major benefit of this policy change is to open up the door for those who would like to be living kidney donors who could not be donors in the past. This can increase the pool of potential living kidney donors and be a lifeline to many people who suffer from end-stage kidney disease.”