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Living Donors

Advantages of Living Donation The kidney is usually a better match when donated by a blood relative, and a living donor organ has a longer life span. Living donation and transplantation can happen almost simultaneously with very little loss of vitality to the organ. Being able to schedule surgery in advance means the recipient and donor can be in the best health. Why don't more people consider living donation? Most transplant candidates don’t explore living donation for the following reasons: They don’t know this is an option It seems too complicated They are afraid to ask Once you learn more about it, living donation will probably seem like a very good idea to consider. Can someone live with one kidney? Most people are born with two kidneys. After donating a kidney, a person can live a long and healthy life with just one. The remaining kidney grows bigger and simply takes over for both kidneys. There are some risks to donating a kidney, though, and these are typically similar to the risks of general surgery. Who can you ask to donate? Not surprisingly, those who are related to you make the best donors. This is because their blood and tissue are usually similar to yours (this is called "matching"). Living related donors can be: brothers and sisters parents aunts and uncles children over 18 cousins Living unrelated donors can also match, and include: Spouses Close friends Co-workers Church members Why not just go on the waiting list? Most transplant candidates go on a national waiting list for a cadaveric kidney. For some people, this is the only option, and it is a very good one. Cadaveric organ donation is very important and gives the gift of live to many people. There are also some good reasons why someone would want to consider living donation: Better success rates – Since kidneys from living donors come from healthy people who are usually related to you, and are in better condition when they are transplanted, they have a tendency to function better over time. Shorter waiting time – For some transplant candidates, a living donation can be life saving. Typically, there is about a 3 year wait for a cadaveric kidney, and each year approximately 1 out of 20 people waiting for a new kidney dies from kidney disease while on dialysis. More time to prepare – When you are on the waiting list for a cadaveric kidney, you never know when the surgery will happen. With a living donation, you can schedule surgery ahead of time for yourself and the donor. This can make it easier to mentally and physically prepare for surgery. Who can become a living donor? In considering a potential living donor, the following things are evaluated and the decision is made by the multi-disciplinary transplant team: Matching tests – These make sure the donor’s blood and kidney will be compatible with the recipient’s. Health exams – A number of tests are performed to determine that the donor is in good health, and surgery will not increase the risk of the donor developing immediate or long term health problems. Counseling – Donors need to understand the surgery and the risks involved. Time and Resources – A living donor will have to take about 6 weeks off from work to recover from surgery. Also, many insurance plans cover donors’ costs. What happens during donor surgery? The donor usually comes to the hospital the day before the surgery, and some routine tests are performed to make sure the donor is still healthy. During the donor’s surgery, the following things happen: The donor is given anesthesia and put to sleep. Surgery is performed using hand-assisted laparoscopic technology. Click here to see a procedure. The kidney is removed with sections of artery, vein and ureter. Surgery lasts 2-3 hours. The usual hospital stay for a donor is 2 to 3 days. Donors should understand that there will be some pain right after surgery. However, sufficient pain management medications are given to control the pain. The pain will get less severe over time. Most patients are able to return to week in 2 weeks and to full activity in 4 weeks. What are the benefits for the donor? Donating an organ to help another person live can be a very rewarding experience. It’s one of the few chances that most people ever get to be a real hero. Even with the risks and sacrifice involved, most living donors are positive about their decision and say it is one of the most important things they have ever done. Many living donors, for example, say that they feel better about themselves after donating. Some say that they feel like their life has a higher purpose. Donating can also create stronger ties between family members. And most spouses say donating an organ to their partner is just a natural part of their love.