The global registry: hope for the future

In 2014, there is unanimous agreement that kidney transplant is the optimal treatment for most patients who have end-stage renal failure. Increasing organ shortage is the main obstacle that delays transplant and might even cause death while the patient is on the waiting list for kidney transplant. Many innovations have been proposed to increase the number of organs for transplant in different countries such as increasing awareness about organ donation, based on different cultures and religions. Support of religious and faith leaders exists for procurement of organs for transplant from patients with brain death or circulatory death. In the past decade, use of marginal and expandedcriteria deceased-donor transplant has been very helpful to expand the kidney donor pool. Dual kidney transplant is another procedure that may minimize the waiting list. The 1977 transport of kidneys from Minneapolis to Tehran helped change the life of a 15-year-old girl. At that time, we had the potential to change a life across 2 continents, even though our techniques were new. This should have provided the impetus to develop such a program. Presently, with progress in science, techniques, and organ shipment, it is our responsibility to reach across the globe to change the lives of many more young and adult patients waiting for kidney transplant. There are many countries in which kidneys from patients with brain or cardiac death are being discarded because of the unavailability of a transplant program in these countries, or because these countries have young transplant programs and very limited resources. If a global registry could be organized under the observation of the International Society of Nephrology and The Transplantation Society Sister Transplant Center Program, transplant teams would be able to use kidneys from patients with brain or cardiac death, with strict regulation of organ donation in accordance with World Health Organization guidelines.