News 8 Special Report: Four-Way Kidney Swap

(WTNH) -- Thousands are on the list – waiting for a life saving kidney transplant.

The kidney transplantation program at Yale-New Haven Hospital is leading the charge in kidney swaps in the New England area.

Basically, if the living donor is found not to match the recipient and both are willing, their names are put on a nationwide search until matches are found.

Incredibly, this swap involves two families and four passionate surgeons and staff in the operating room.

It's 8:30 on a Thursday morning at Yale-New Haven Hospital.
 
"Just to make sure I haven't missed any attachments, I flip the kidney," said Dr. Sunjay Kulkarni.

Dr. Kulkarni is working diligently to free a live donor kidney.

In this case it's Heather Meyernick.

"All I knew was that it was going to give my kid a kidney and somebody was going to get mine, so it didn't really matter," said Meyernick. 

Not a match for her son. She's part of a four way kidney swap.

45 minutes into the donor's surgery, doctors are prepping the recipient in a surgical unit.

The recipient for this organ Gloria Jones.

"They said I was at end stage renal failure," said Jones.

It's now up to Dr. Manuel Davalos Rodriguez to get the kidney ready for reconnection.

"There's a couple of simple cysts that are pretty normal. A lot of times peope don't think they can be donors," said Dr. Rodriguez. "The truth is there are alot of benign diseases that will still let you donate to your loved one."

Remember this is a four way exchange. In another surgical wing, Dr. Peter Schulam is operating on the second donor.   

"This patient's main renal artery branches very early," said Dr. Schulam.

Dr. Schulam is using an endo-catch bag to retrieve the organ.

"By doing that, the incision can be a little bit smaller and it can be a little bit lower in the abdomen," said Dr. Shulam.   

This donor is Tasha Tucker, daughter of Gloria, the first recipient.

"Whatever it takes, let's just get it done, whatever it takes," said Tucker. "I'd do anything for my Mom."  

Not a match for Mom but another on the waiting list benefits. The recipient here is Jason Belinski.

"I have a kidney condition," said Belinski. "Scar tissue is building up over the filters which is basically what all your kidneys are, is filters."   

Incredibly Belinski is the son of the first donor, Heather.

"The swap program or the list and the list was going to take a lot longer," said Belinski.

Dr. Peter Yoo his surgeon also heads up the kidney swap program.

"We are starting to go through all the folders of patients who previously were found to be incompatible with their potential donors and starting to call them back saying, hey we've got this great new program," said Dr. Yoo.

"Basically we have a computer system which we are fortunate to have where we put all the different compatability tests into it and it throws out a match for us," said Dr. Kulkarni.

In about four hours the recipients have the kidney they need.

"Okay here it goes, it's turning pink now. There's nice healthy bleeding on the surface which means the blood is getting through," said Dr. Yoo.

One week and one day later, "This is your recipient and this is your donor."

The unique family combination they say was meant to be.

"I thought it was a miracle, mother, daughter, mother, son same age, how often does something like that come up," said Tucker.

"Who knows maybe her children might have needed an organ and she gave that up so that I can have a better chance at living a better life and healthier life," said Belinski.

"I'm going to be around now to see my children, my grandchildren, have a better life, a longer life," said Jones.

"It's families that are helping families. Children need their mothers, mothers need their children," said Meyernick.

There are thousands of people on the list waiting for a life saving kidney.

The bottom line here Dr. Yoo says, they're getting people off dialysis and off the waiting list.
 
A kidney transplant done today, well cared for, should last for decades.