Page 22 - More than a match

EVALUATATION

TO ASSESSMENT

efore you can become a kidney donor, you need to undergo
Ba series of blood tests, the first which is to check that you
and your recipient have compatible blood groups. This reduces the

chance of rejection, although in some cases and in some transplant
centres transplantation can take place between people who are not
the same blood group.

Blood Tests
I assumed Tayo and I would be the same blood group because
we are brother and sister, but this is not always the case, as family

members can have different blood groups.
Other blood tests are taken to see whether you are anaemic or
have previously been infected with certain viruses. These checks are
important to make sure you are in good enough health to be a kidney
donor and that your kidneys are working normally. Other blood
tests check your tissue type. The tissue type of a person is determined
by marker proteins on the surface of white blood cells. Everyone’s
tissue type is different (except for identical twins) but if you have a
close tissue type match with your recipient there is a higher chance

that the transplant will be successful in the long term. Close tissue

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