The XXIII edition of the Training Course in Kidney Transplantation from Living Donors, taught by professionals from Fundació Puigvert and subsidized by the ONT, focuses on the early detection of potential donors, providing good information to patients, and training healthcare teams to expand transplantation opportunities.

Fundació Puigvert celebrated from October 13 to 16 the XXIII edition of the Training Course in Kidney Transplantation from Living Donors, an educational initiative subsidized by the National Transplant Organization (ONT) that, for more than two decades, has contributed to promoting this type of transplantation and training professionals from various healthcare specialties.

Inaugurated by Lluís Gausa, clinical director of Fundació Puigvert, it brought together more than a hundred professionals from nephrology, urology, internal medicine, intensive care, immunology, and nursing. The online program addressed the main medical, psychological, ethical, and legal challenges of kidney transplantation from living donors. During the training, Lluís Guirado, director of the Nephrology Service at Fundació Puigvert and course director, agreed with representatives from the ONT and the Catalan Transplant Organization (OCATT) on the importance of offering living kidney donation as a therapeutic option from the early stages of planning treatment for advanced chronic kidney disease, before the person has to start dialysis.

The different sessions featured leading experts in psychology, law, immunology, nephrology, nursing, and urology, as well as the participation of donor and recipient pairs of kidney transplants. Throughout the course, the head of the Kidney Transplant Unit at Fundació Puigvert, Carme Facundo, focused on the profile and follow-up of the donor, as well as their perception and experience of donation. Finally, the program culminated with a semi-live surgery session led by the renowned Kidney Transplant Surgical Team of Fundació Puigvert, headed by Alberto Breda, dedicated to the laparoscopic extraction of a kidney from a living donor and robotic kidney transplantation.

Catalonia, a reference in kidney transplantation from living donors

Jaume Tort, director of the OCATT, highlighted the activity of kidney transplantation from living donors in Catalonia and acknowledged the contribution of hospital teams that have promoted this practice over the years.

“In Catalonia, this 2026 we have already performed 150 kidney transplants from living donors, an extraordinary figure that is the result of the work, perseverance, and effort of Fundació Puigvert and the other teams. In this field, Fundació Puigvert is undoubtedly one of the reference centers,” Tort stated.

The director of the OCATT also emphasized the continuity of the training, which reaches its 23rd edition thanks to the perseverance, clarity of objectives, and sustained commitment of the institution to teaching and improving healthcare practice.

 

Transplanting before dialysis: more opportunities and better results

Lluís Guirado, director of the Nephrology Service at Fundació Puigvert and course director, presented the clinical advantages of kidney transplantation from living donors, especially when it can be performed early, before starting dialysis.

This advantage is particularly relevant for young people with advanced kidney disease, who can benefit from an organ from a selected donor after a rigorous medical evaluation.

Guirado also reminded that the benefits of living donation go beyond the recipient.

“When a person can access a living donor transplant, it also helps reduce the waiting time for those who do not have this option and who remain on the waiting list for a kidney from a deceased donor,” he explained.

Despite these advantages, he warned that “surveys indicate that in Spain, living donation is still not offered as a first-line option.” Lastly, he insisted that the promotion of living donor transplantation must be accompanied by complete and balanced information about the benefits and risks of donation. The selection of potential donors must ensure a thorough medical, psychological, and social assessment, as well as monitoring their health throughout their lives.

Carlos Vilches, immunologist from the ONT, warned that there are still people with advanced kidney disease who start dialysis without having received information about the possibility of accessing a kidney transplant from a living donor.

“As a quality control measure, it would be advisable for each patient’s medical history to indicate whether they have been informed about living donation,” Vilches emphasized.

 

More about the Training in Kidney Transplantation from Living Donors at Fundació Puigvert

Since 2004, Fundació Puigvert has been organizing this training online with the support of the ONT, aiming to share knowledge, promote the creation and consolidation of kidney transplantation programs from living donors, and contribute to expanding treatment opportunities for people with advanced chronic kidney disease.