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Time from donor blood sample to confirmed match

Can anyone explain why it can take up to three whole months from collecting a blood sample from a potential donor to finding out if it is a match please?

Answers

  • An interesting question. I don't know the answer I'm afraid. I am assuming that there is a lot of testing involved, and the potential donor may not be available to come in straight away (even if they look as if they match from a small sample, I think that more tests have to be done to check this and then do more tests). I am also assuming that a blood test isn't enough to actually show that you are a complete and total match. Is this a situation that you find yourself in?
  • I guess like Kw13 says there will be a lot of detailed testing going on, largely to make sure the best match is obtained to reduce the risk of problems.

    Is this a sibling that's been tested or are you waiting for a match from an unrelated donor. My sister was tested but found not to be a match and I seem to remember it only being a few weeks for her to be ruled out. That could be because she was a long way off being a match though, so if yours seems like it is taking a while it could be because it is close and they are making sure.

    Have you asked your transplant team how things are progressing? Hang in there as they do have to be certain and the better the match is, the less likely you are to have complications.

    All the best,

    Steve
  • Hi, in this instance I am asking out of curiosity rather than about myself. A friend has been potentially matched as a donor to someone she doesn't know. She's given the blood sample for matching and has been told its been sent to the recipients medical team and it can take up to 3 months for matching. I just wondered why it would take that long.
  • I think from what I have been told there are numerous stages to the testing process, I needed a 10/10 match and it took a number of lots of blood before they had tested each thing that made that 10/10.
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