The first kidney cross-donation in Hungary was performed at the Clinical Centre in Pécs

The first cross-donation kidney transplant in Hungary, performed in recent days, can be considered a new milestone in Hungarian organ transplantation. As part of the living donor kidney exchange programme, two women received new kidneys at the Surgical Clinic of the University of Pécs Clinical Centre (PTE KK), giving them the opportunity to enjoy a better quality of life. It is particularly interesting that in both cases, the organ donor was the male partner of the other couple.

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Cross-donation is an option for patients who need a kidney transplant and have a living donor, but the transplant cannot be performed directly between the donor and recipient for immunological or other medical reasons. Given the need for organ transplantation and the willingness of living donors to donate, it is possible to find donor-recipient pairs in similar situations. Transplants can be successfully performed between optimally compatible pairs by exchanging donor kidneys. This solution makes two or even more kidney transplants possible and also provides indirect assistance to donors.

Since 2014, the law has allowed for this type of transplant, but no specific surgeries have been performed to date. Recognising this shortcoming, at the initiative of the National Hospital Directorate, the four kidney transplant centres in Hungary and the Regional Kidney Transplant Committees operating there, in coordination with the National Blood Supply Service, have developed a nationally uniform programme in accordance with the legislation in force, which ensures equal opportunities for all patients who voluntarily enter the programme. This became the living donor kidney exchange programme, which was launched in Hungary on June 21, 2024. The search for optimally compatible matches among the couples applying for the programme is carried out using software developed for this purpose.

During the programme's optimisation process, experts found a professionally acceptable match between two married couples living in the Pécs region. This made it possible for the male members of the married couples to donate their kidneys to the female members of the other couple. A new milestone in Hungarian organ transplantation was reached on January 20, 2026, when the first cross-donation kidney transplant was performed at the PTE KK Surgical Clinic. One of the cross-pairs was operated on by Dr. Péter Szakály, associate professor, together with Dr. Dorottya Katics. The other pair's surgery was performed by Dr. Ádám Varga, assistant professor, with the help of Dr. Károly Kalmár Nagy, chief physician. The kidneys began functioning immediately. Both patients and their donors are doing well and are expected to be discharged home in a few days.

Beyond the medical success, this procedure serves as a powerful example of how structured societal cooperation can uphold a more empathetic society. By creating a framework where strangers can rely on one another to save their loved ones, the programme transforms individual acts of care into a collective safety net. This kind of reciprocal altruism strengthens the social fabric, demonstrating that when a community is organised to facilitate mutual aid, it fosters a deeper sense of trust and solidarity among its citizens.