Kidney Transplants in Deutschland: A Necessary Life-Saver
Top Organ Demand Soars in Germany
In present-day Germany, more than 2000 kidney transplants are conducted each year, yet over 6000 individuals are on the waiting list, not all of whom survive the long wait.
Bettina Lange from Brandenburg's Brieselang is currently optimistic about her transplanted kidney, which originated from her husband. Seven years ago, Lange underwent the necessary procedure due to her long-term kidney disease. Dialysis, when the kidneys can no longer filter toxins from the body, had left her feeling poorly at times. The process was first successfully adopted nearly 80 years ago in the Netherlands and has since become indispensable for over 100,000 patients in Germany.
Unfortunately, dialysis does not fully restore the body's natural functions, and a foreign kidney becomes the only solution to prevent further health deterioration. Due to a persistent shortage of donors, kidneys are the most demanded organ in Germany.
Forty-Five Steps to History
Exactly 75 years ago, on June 17, 1950, Richard H. Lawler, a surgeon in a small US hospital in Chicago's suburbs, performed the world's first successful human-to-human kidney transplant. The 44-year-old recipient received the organ from a deceased donor in a 45-minute operation. Initially, the transplant functioned well but was removed after ten months due to the body's rejection. This marked the end of numerous further attempts by Lawler.
Making It Big: Early German Milestones
Germany embarked on its kidney transplant journey in 1963. Wilhelm Brosig and Reinhold Nagel from West Berlin were responsible for the first successful procedures, implanting an organ into a 21-year-old woman, who sadly passed away a few days later. By the end of the sixties, the same doctors achieved the first long-term success with a 25-year-old recipient who received a kidney donation from her mother.
A New Lease on Life
Patients can obtain a new kidney from a healthy partner, relative, or emotionally close person as Bettina Lange did, or through an anonymous donor. Lange and her husband prepared for the operation for about a year, ensuring the organ's compatibility with her body values. After the procedure, they became two chronically ill individuals under regular medical monitoring.
Recipients take strong medications to suppress their immune system and prevent rejection. This enhances their susceptibility to infection. Proper diet is crucial, with certain foods like some citrus fruits (such as grapefruits) and pomegranates best avoided. A remarkable fact is that many healthy donors can resume their previous lives soon after the transplantation, with about 70 percent of their original kidney function remaining sufficient for a normal life.
A Shot in the Arm
Two-thirds of organs originate from deceased donors. In 2024, around 1,433 kidneys came from deceased donors and 678 from living donors. Germany's donor readiness has been low for decades. In comparison with Portugal, which currently has approximately three times the number of donors, and Spain, with an even higher figure, the country has room for improvement.
Germany lags behind in organ donation primarily due to its existing legislation, which necessitates explicit consent for organ removal. Some in politics and society advocate for the introduction of an opt-out system where everyone is considered an organ donor unless they choose to opt-out. The waiting time between beginning dialysis and transplantation is considerable, averaging seven years for individuals aged 18 to 64, and children undergoing priority treatment wait less.
The Future: Could WElschaffen Porcine Kidneys Save Lives?
A recent "milestone" centers around doctors successfully transplanting pig kidneys into critically ill patients. This development might one day revolutionize transplantation medicine in Germany and beyond.
Enrichment Data:* In the 1930s and 1940s, the Soviet Union and the Netherlands led pioneering efforts in attempting the first human-to-human kidney transplants, though the procedure proved initially non-viable.* Sir Peter Medawar's work on acquired immune tolerance in the 1950s provided essential insight into organ rejection.* Germania’s first documented successful kidney transplant took place in the early 1960s, contemporaneous with international advancements in immunosuppression and surgical techniques.* The introduction of cyclosporine in the late 1970s and 1980s drastically improved transplant survival rates, and the European Union's establishment of the Eurotransplant organization coordinated organ allocation among participating countries, including Germany.
- The history of kidney transplants in Germany can be traced back to 1963, with Wilhelm Brosig and Reinhold Nagel performing the first successful procedures, using scientific advancements and therapies and treatments to overcome rejection issues.
- Chronic kidney diseases, like the one faced by Bettina Lange, often require vocational training adjustments for patients due to their health-and-wellness considerations, including dietary restrictions and medication regimens.
- In an effort to address the persistent shortage of donors in Germany, there have been discussions about implementing a community policy that shifts from opt-in to opt-out for organ donation, with the aim of improving donor readiness and reducing wait times for treatments like kidney transplants.
