Dr. Koushik Shaw Performs First Living Kidney Donation With National Donate Life

St. David’s North Austin Medical Center and Donate Life America are piloting the first-ever living kidney donor program in Texas, and Dr. Koushik Shaw is honored to be part of it. Having performed kidney transplant surgery since 2004, this was a significant moment for Dr. Shaw and the greater transplant community at large. 

Images courtesy of National Donate Life Living Registry. Camden Underwood (left), Dr. Koushik Shaw and the St. David’s North Austin Medical Center’s Kidney Transplant living donor team (right).

We all know that kidney transplants save lives. Kidney transplants are among the most common, successful organ transplants performed today. However, a living donor kidney transplant is the best option because candidates are able to receive the best quality kidney sooner rather than later. This means a lower risk surgery, a higher success rate and a potentially shorter wait. It’s not uncommon for transplant candidates to face a lengthy and uncertain wait for a kidney donation; living transplant donations can potentially cut down on that time. 

While kidney transplants from living donors are ideal, the process for registering and contacting living donors is cumbersome. Prospective donors have to independently navigate finding a transplant center, coordinating between the different points of contact, and undergoing medical screening. This new registry from National Donate Life simplifies the entire process, making it easy for prospective donors to find out their eligibility and register interest. Once they’ve indicated their interest in donating a kidney, the transplant center will follow up with them to determine next steps. 

This past July, Dr. Koushik Shaw had the opportunity to perform the first kidney transplant on the first donor, Camden Underwood, who used the National Donate Life Living Donor Registry. Underwood’s kidney was given anonymously, undoubtedly changing someone else’s life. The pilot program is only in Texas right now, but has plans to roll out nationwide. Any individual between the ages of 18-65 who is already registered through the National Donate Life Registry (registerme.org) has the chance to register interest to become a living kidney donor.

Video courtesy of KVUE Television