Hepatitis C Positive Donor Kidneys
Getting a transplant Sooner
For Providers/Transplant Programs
How can i get a transplant sooner?
There are various types of kidneys available for donation, some of which have shorter wait times. Some kidneys take less time to get than others. You can choose which kinds you are willing to accept. If you are open to more than one kind, you may get a kidney sooner. Getting a kidney transplant from someone who has hepatitis C might allow you to get a kidney transplant faster because many people do not know that hepatitis C-positive kidneys are an option.
What is hepatitis C?
- Hepatitis C is a virus that can make your liver sick. Around 2.4 million people in the United States have it
- Sometimes, people don’t feel very sick when they have hepatitis C. They might not feel sick for many years! Some people might feel like their tummy hurts, they’re tired, or their joints hurt
- There is medicine to cure hepatitis C in most people, so it’s good to know if you have it and start treatment early. If you don’t, your liver could get really sick
Is It Safe to get this kidney?
- Within the last few years, many centers have transplanted hepatitis C-infected kidneys to patients without hepatitis C. This can make the person who gets the new kidney get hepatitis C. But, doctors have medicine to cure hepatitis C. In fact, the medication can cure 99.9% of patients with hepatitis C.
- Having a new kidney is better for your health than being on a machine that cleans your blood all the time, called dialysis. The medicine to cure hepatitis C does not have a lot of bad side effects.
- Getting a new kidney is very important and the outcomes of those who got this type of this transplant have been very positive.