
Living Kidney Donation
There are more than 90,000 people
listed for kidney transplant. The number of patients waiting for a
kidney far outweighs the number of deceased donors. This has led to a
longer waiting time and a decrease in health and quality of life for
potential kidney transplant recipients. This continued shortage of donor
organs has led to an increased reliance on living donation. A person
can
live and function normally with only one kidney and recipients that
receive a living donor organ typically have better clinical utcomes. To
spare a patient frequent dialysis and a long waiting time, many
relatives, friends and others who may wish to remain anonymous, serve as
living kidney donors.
What is living kidney donation?
Kidney
transplantation is an option for the treatment of end stage organ
failure. Other options include peritoneal and hemodialysis treatments.
The goal of living kidney donation is to remove a healthy kidney from a
living donor for placement into a person with kidney failure, freeing
them from dialysis treatments and improving their quality of life.
What are the benefits of being a living kidney donor?
While there are no direct physical or monetary benefits of being a donor, giving the gift of life can be an emotionally rewarding experience. Many donors report positive feelings following donation.
What is the process for being a living donor?
The screening process begins with a phone conversation with a member of the living donor team. An initial health screen is completed and the potential donor can ask questions and learn about the living donation process.
If the donor meets preliminary criteria, lab work will be completed to determine if the potential donor and recipient are blood type compatible.
The next phase is the medical and psychological evaluation conducted by an experienced physician and other members of the living donor team.
If the donor is determined suitable by the team, the surgery will be scheduled at a time that is convenient for the donor and recipient.
Our living donor team will support you and your family throughout the process. We are here to answer your questions and make this process as smooth as possible.