The so-called quadruple kidney transplant was now carried out for the first time. Image: KEYSTONE
May 26, 2026, 12:23 p.mMay 26, 2026, 12:23 p.m
Geneva University Hospital, together with three French hospitals, has carried out an international quadruple kidney transplant for the first time. Four donors and four recipients were involved in the complex exchange operation. According to the clinics involved, this is a first.
The so-called cross donation process is used when a living donor is not medically compatible with their sick caregiver. In such cases, several incompatible donor-recipient pairs are combined together in such a way that an anonymous, mutual compatibility between the pairs is created.
This form of organ donation offers several advantages: It shortens the waiting time for an organ, relieves the burden on waiting lists and improves the patients’ chances of survival, as the transplants are carried out using organs from living donors.
In addition to the Geneva University Hospital, the university hospitals of Montpellier, Reims and Toulouse were involved in the operation. A triple cross donation program was implemented in France for the first time in 2024. The international quadruple operation that has now taken place with a total of eight patients involved is considered an important milestone for the further development of living kidney donations.
The collaboration between Switzerland and France significantly increases the circle of potentially compatible donor and recipient pairs. The Geneva University Hospital has been committed to cross donations for years, but has so far been limited by the limited number of national donor pairs.
New perspectives for patients
The Swiss foundation Swisstransplant also welcomes the international expansion of the program. She speaks of significant progress that opens up new perspectives, especially for patients with difficult compatibility profiles.
In France, the national biomedical agency identifies possible combinations of compatible donor and recipient pairs on a monthly basis. After final medical tests, the clinics involved must coordinate their surgical procedures precisely and organize the transport of the organs.
For the current quadruple operation, a total of eight interdependent procedures were carried out within a maximum of 24 hours. (sda/fwa)