Recycling transplanted organs: An exceptional case and literature review.

BACKGROUND:Recycling transplant kidneys, in other words using an allograft which has previously been transplanted in one recipient for transplant in a second recipient, can be a source of opportunity for expanding the pool of available grafts in the United States and beyond. SUMMARY:We describe a case of renal transplantation from a donor who had undergone a kidney transplant 3 years prior and had good graft function at the time of procurement. The recipient underwent transplantation uneventfully and to date has demonstrated excellent graft function. We also include a literature review of reported cases of recycled/retransplanted kidneys. KEY MESSAGES:-Recycling transplanted kidneys is a largely untapped resource which could help decrease the transplant waitlist. -Utilizing such kidneys does need special considerations in terms of procurement technique, backtable, crossmatch, recipient selection and follow-up.