How to Be a Kidney Donor

Many people who need transplants of organs and tissues cannot get them because of a shortage of donations. Of the 123,000 Americans currently on the waiting list for a lifesaving organ transplant, more than 101,000 need a kidney, but only 17,000 people receive one each year. Every day 12 people die waiting for a kidney. Organ and tissue donation helps others by giving them a second chance at life.

Deceased Donation

Identifying yourself as an organ and/or tissue donor is simple. Simply visit the Donate Life America website to join your state’s online registry for donation. You can also declare your intentions on your driver’s license.

Signing up online through your state registry or on your driver’s license is a good first step in designating your wishes about donation, but letting your family or other loved one’s know about your decision is vitally important. Family members are often asked to give consent for a loved one’s donation, so it’s important that they know your wishes.

Living Donation

You can also consider being a living kidney donor. Living donation takes place when a living person donates an organ or part of an organ to someone in need of a transplant. The donor is most often a close family member, such as a parent, child, brother or sister. A donor can also be a more distant family member, spouse, friend or co-worker. Non-directed donors – those who donate anonymously and do not know their recipients – are also becoming more common. Click here to learn more about living kidney donation.

Religion and Organ Donation

Virtually all religious denominations approve of organ and tissue donation as representing the highest humanitarian ideals and the ultimate charitable act. Click here for more on religion and donation.

For more information, visit the A to Z Guide.

In this Article

In this Article

In this Article

• Who Can I Give My Kidney To?
• Am I Healthy Enough to Donate a Kidney?
• What Happens After Surgery?
• How Can I Donate?

Your kidneys are two of your body’s most important organs. They filter waste from about 200 liters of fluid per day in your body. (Almost all of the fluid is reabsorbed into your body. The waste and extra water become urine.) Your kidneys release hormones that control blood pressure. And they help make red blood cells and vitamin D.

When they don’t work, you need treatment to stay healthy. Sometimes that means getting a kidney transplant.

If someone you know or love needs a kidney, you might have thought about giving them one of yours. Here are answers to common questions about this big decision.

Who Can I Give My Kidney To?

You can donate a kidney to a family member or friend who needs one. You can also give it to someone you don’t know. Doctors call this a “nondirected” donation, in which case you might decide to meet the person you donate to, or choose to stay anonymous. Either way, doctors will give your kidney to the person who needs it most and is the best match.

Am I Healthy Enough to Donate a Kidney?

Your doctor will do some tests to find out for sure. They’ll check your blood and urine, and may also do an ultrasound or take X-rays of your kidneys. You may not be able to donate if you have medical issues like diabetes or high blood pressure.

If your doctor gives you the green light, they’ll schedule you for surgery. You can expect to take 4 to 6 weeks to recover. Be sure to line up someone to help you during that time.

You don’t usually have to change your routine or even your diet to get ready for surgery.

What Happens After Surgery?

Your doctor will prescribe medications to help manage your pain. They’ll also want you to get up and start moving around shortly afterward.

As with any operation, there are possible aftereffects, like pain and infection. When you only have one kidney, there’s a greater chance of long-term issues like high blood pressure. Talk to your doctor about the possible problems you might face.

After donation, you should be able to live a pretty normal life. You’ll have to take pain pills for a short time after surgery. Your remaining kidney will grow bigger to help make up for the one that’s gone. Your doctor may want you to make a few changes in your physical activity. They might tell you to avoid contact sports like football or soccer in order to protect your kidney.

Continued

How Can I Donate?

If you want to give your kidney to a friend or family member, talk to the doctor at the transplant center. You’ll start taking tests to see if you’re a match.

If you want to give a kidney to someone you don’t know, contact your nearest transplant center. You can find out if they have a nondirected donor program. If they don’t, ask your doctor for a list of centers that have an anonymous donor program. You can also find those programs online.

Sources

National Kidney Foundation: “How Your Kidneys Work,” “The Evaluation,” “Helpful Tips for Living Donors and Caretakers,” “What to Expect After Donation,” “General Information on Living Donation.”

Johns Hopkins Medicine: “What Kidney Donors Need to Know Before, During and After Donating a Kidney.”

UCSF Medical Center: “FAQ: Living Kidney Donor.”

American Transplant Foundation: “Becoming a Living Donor,” “What to Consider Before Donating.”

National Kidney Registry: “Living Donors.”

UNOS: “Living Donation: Information You Need to Know.”

Learn how to ask for a kidney donation

Learn how to ask for a kidney donation from family, friends or strangers and get tips on sharing your story.

Nearly 100,000 people are on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. Many more people are waiting for a kidney than for all other organs combined. Unfortunately, the number of people waiting for kidneys is much larger than the number of available kidneys from living and deceased donors. You can save a life by being a kidney donor.

Learn how to ask for a kidney donation

Learn how to ask for a kidney donation from family, friends or strangers and get tips on sharing your story.

• Being a living kidney donor
• Benefits and risks of living kidney donation
• Living donor surgery

Being a living kidney donor

If you have two healthy kidneys, you may be able to donate one of your kidneys to enhance or save someone else’s life. Both you and the recipient of your kidney (the person who got your kidney) can live with just one healthy kidney.

If you are interested in living kidney donation:

• Contact the transplant center where a transplant candidate is registered.
• You will need to have an evaluation at the transplant center to make sure that you are a good match for the person you want to donate to and that you are healthy enough to donate.
• If you are a match, healthy, and willing to donate, you and the recipient can schedule the transplant at a time that works for both of you.
• If you are not a match for the intended recipient, but still want to donate your kidney so that the recipient you know can receive a kidney that is a match, paired kidney exchange may be an option for you.

Another way to donate a kidney while you are alive is to give a kidney to someone you do not necessarily know. This is called living non-directed donation. If you are interested in donating a kidney to someone you do not know, the transplant center might ask you to donate a kidney when you are a match for someone who is waiting for a kidney in your area, or as part of kidney paired donation. You will never be forced to donate.

Benefits and risks of living kidney donation

Benefits

There is no doubt that being a living donor is a huge benefit to the recipient (the person who gets your kidney). Recipients of a living donor kidney usually live longer, healthier lives compared to those who receive a deceased donor kidney (a kidney from someone who has just died). It is important to recognize there can be benefits to the donor, as well. Some of these are:

• Saving the life of another person
• Giving a renewed, and improved quality of life to another person
• Greater understanding of your own health or health conditions

Risks

As a kidney donor, your risk of having kidney failure later in your life is not any higher than it is for someone in the general population of a similar age, sex or race.

On average, donors have 25-35% permanent loss of kidney function after surgery.

It is important to recognize that there are risks with any type of surgery, which the transplant team will explain to you in detail. Some of these include:

• Pain, feeling tired, hernia, blood clots, pneumonia, nerve injury, bowel obstruction

Some people who donate an organ may experience anxiety, depression, or fear after the surgery. Financial stress can also come as a result of donation, as you may need to take time off from work. Talk to the transplant team during the evaluation process to find ways to manage these stresses.

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Living donor surgery

If you want to be a living donor, you will need to have a medical exam with blood tests to be sure you are healthy enough to donate a kidney. Some of the tests needed may include:

• Blood tests
• Urine tests
• Pap smear/ gynecological exam
• Colonoscopy (if over age 50)
• Screening tests for cancer
• Antibody test
• X-ray
• Electrocardiogram (EKG) which looks at your heart
• Other image testing like a CT scan

You are also required to meet with a psychologist and an Independent Living Donor Advocate to be sure you are mentally and emotionally ready to donate one of your kidneys.

If you are found to be healthy, and your antibodies and blood type are well-matched to the person getting your kidney, you may be approved to donate your kidney.

The surgery

Most kidney transplant surgeries are done laparoscopically . A laparoscopic surgery is a new surgery method that uses very small cuts on the body and a thin lighted tube to look inside the body. In a laparoscopic kidney donor surgery, the surgeon makes small cuts on the donor’s stomach, and the kidney is removed through an incision just big enough for it to fit through. This operation takes 2-3 hours, and a kidney donor usually spends 1-3 days in the hospital recovering. The recovery period after laparoscopic surgery is much shorter than after a traditional open surgery. There are also fewer complications with laparoscopic surgery.

Before the use of laparoscopic surgery, the kidney was removed from a larger, open cut, causing a longer recovery period for the patient, compared to the laparoscopic method.

You’re Never Too Old

You must be at least 18 to give a kidney. There’s no maximum age, but your doctor will want to make sure you’re spry enough to handle the surgery. You don’t have to be an Olympian for your kidney to pass the test. Only a handful of health conditions will keep you off the operating table.

It’s Not for Everyone

If you have any kind of kidney disease, it isn’t a good idea for you to give a kidney to others. Your doctor will also sideline you from surgery if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, HIV, hepatitis, acute infections, or a mental health condition that requires treatment.

You Don’t Have to Be a Perfect Match

Don’t worry that your kidney won’t be identical to the one it replaces. It’s best to have a matching or compatible blood type. But some transplant centers can make it work if you don’t. Getting a donor kidney improves the health of someone on dialysis so much that doctors say a “good enough” match is far better than no match at all.

Giving Is Free

You don’t have to pony up a cent to donate. The recipient’s insurance company covers most of your medical costs. But it may not cover all of your follow-up visits or treatments for any complications you might have. You’ll also need to plan for lost wages and travel costs.

Kidneys From a Living Donor Work Faster

If you need a kidney, it can come from someone who’s alive or from someone who’s recently died (your doctor will call this a cadaver). Kidneys from a living donor have the edge. They’re ready to get to work right away. Other kidneys may take some time to kick into gear. And you might need to stay on dialysis for a few days after surgery if you get one.В

You’ll Heal Quickly

After you give a kidney, your hospital stay could be as short as 3 days or as long as a week. You should be fully recovered 4 to 6 weeks after surgery. If you’re getting a kidney, you might stay as long as 10 days. You may also spend the first day or two in the ICU as your body adjusts to the donor organ. You should feel almost back to normal in 6 to 8 weeks.

No Huge Scars

Today, kidney surgery is less intense than ever, thanks to new technology. Instead of a traditional open surgery, your doctor may give you the go-ahead for laparoscopic surgery — they may call this a minimally invasive procedure. They’ll make a small cut and then use a wand with a video camera attached to it to remove your kidney. You may not qualify if you’ve had previous surgeries or have a kidney in an abnormal position.

You Can Choose Who Gets Your Kidney

There are two ways to give a kidney:

• Directed donation: You decide who gets it — as long as your kidney is a match for them.
• Nondirected donation: A team of medical experts chooses your kidney’s new owner based on need and how well you match.

Directed donations are more common.

Donor Kidneys Need Protection

Your body is set up to attack anything it doesn’t recognize. That new kidney is a stranger to your body. You’ll need to take drugs your doctor will refer to as immunosuppressants. They make sure your immune system doesn’t reject the donated kidney. You’ll take them as long as you have that kidney.

You Can Be Healthy With One Kidney

Giving it away won’t take years off your life. You may have some issues right after surgery, like a short-term spike in your blood pressure. And if you have kidney problems in the future, you won’t have a backup in place. Some donors may be more likely to get high blood pressure, kidney disease, and other health problems, but studies show that most have as good or better health than most people over the rest of their lives.

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

A new-to-you kidney won’t last forever, but it can give you good health for many years. How long do they last? About 10 years for a kidney from a deceased donor and 15 years if it’s from someone who’s alive. You can also take simple steps to keep your donor kidney healthy. Eat well, get regular exercise, take your anti-rejection medications, and keep health conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure under control.

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SOURCES:
United Network for Organ Sharing: “Living Donation.”

Johns Hopkins Medicine: “Comprehensive Transplant Center: Blood Compatibility,” “What Kidney Donors Need to Know: Before, During and After Donating a Kidney.”

American Kidney Fund: “Kidney Transplant.”

National Kidney Foundation: “Getting Started: General Information on Living Donation,” “Care After Kidney Transplant,” “The Surgery,” “Who Pays for Living Donation?”

The University of Kansas Hospital: “Kidney: Recovery and Follow-Up.”

Mayo Clinic: “Nephrectomy (kidney removal).”

Medscape: “Long-term risks for Kidney Donors.”

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics: “Kidney Disease and Transplant: Frequently Asked Questions.”

Reviewed by Minesh Khatri, MD on November 02, 2018

This tool does not provide medical advice. See additional information.

THIS TOOL DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and should not be relied on to make decisions about your health. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on the WebMD Site. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911.

In this Article

In this Article

In this Article

• Who Can I Give My Kidney To?
• Am I Healthy Enough to Donate a Kidney?
• What Happens After Surgery?
• How Can I Donate?

Your kidneys are two of your body’s most important organs. They filter waste from about 200 liters of fluid per day in your body. (Almost all of the fluid is reabsorbed into your body. The waste and extra water become urine.) Your kidneys release hormones that control blood pressure. And they help make red blood cells and vitamin D.

When they don’t work, you need treatment to stay healthy. Sometimes that means getting a kidney transplant.

If someone you know or love needs a kidney, you might have thought about giving them one of yours. Here are answers to common questions about this big decision.

Who Can I Give My Kidney To?

You can donate a kidney to a family member or friend who needs one. You can also give it to someone you don’t know. Doctors call this a “nondirected” donation, in which case you might decide to meet the person you donate to, or choose to stay anonymous. Either way, doctors will give your kidney to the person who needs it most and is the best match.

Am I Healthy Enough to Donate a Kidney?

Your doctor will do some tests to find out for sure. They’ll check your blood and urine, and may also do an ultrasound or take X-rays of your kidneys. You may not be able to donate if you have medical issues like diabetes or high blood pressure.

If your doctor gives you the green light, they’ll schedule you for surgery. You can expect to take 4 to 6 weeks to recover. Be sure to line up someone to help you during that time.

You don’t usually have to change your routine or even your diet to get ready for surgery.

What Happens After Surgery?

Your doctor will prescribe medications to help manage your pain. They’ll also want you to get up and start moving around shortly afterward.

As with any operation, there are possible aftereffects, like pain and infection. When you only have one kidney, there’s a greater chance of long-term issues like high blood pressure. Talk to your doctor about the possible problems you might face.

After donation, you should be able to live a pretty normal life. You’ll have to take pain pills for a short time after surgery. Your remaining kidney will grow bigger to help make up for the one that’s gone. Your doctor may want you to make a few changes in your physical activity. They might tell you to avoid contact sports like football or soccer in order to protect your kidney.

Continued

How Can I Donate?

If you want to give your kidney to a friend or family member, talk to the doctor at the transplant center. You’ll start taking tests to see if you’re a match.

If you want to give a kidney to someone you don’t know, contact your nearest transplant center. You can find out if they have a nondirected donor program. If they don’t, ask your doctor for a list of centers that have an anonymous donor program. You can also find those programs online.

Sources

National Kidney Foundation: “How Your Kidneys Work,” “The Evaluation,” “Helpful Tips for Living Donors and Caretakers,” “What to Expect After Donation,” “General Information on Living Donation.”

Johns Hopkins Medicine: “What Kidney Donors Need to Know Before, During and After Donating a Kidney.”

UCSF Medical Center: “FAQ: Living Kidney Donor.”

American Transplant Foundation: “Becoming a Living Donor,” “What to Consider Before Donating.”

National Kidney Registry: “Living Donors.”

UNOS: “Living Donation: Information You Need to Know.”

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Living donor program

The UCLA Living Kidney Donor Program is set up to encourage, enable and guide healthy individuals to be living kidney donors and help save lives of thousands of people. Our expert team provides a comprehensive evaluation if you choose to donate one of your kidneys to a family member, a friend or altruistically to a stranger. Being a donor is not easy. Therefore, we have a dedicated program to guide willing donors every step of the way. Our team takes pride in providing the highest quality of support and the most up to date and relevant information for willing donors. UCLA is one of only a few programs on the West Coast to offer strong expertise in living donor kidney transplant and incompatible blood type kidney transplant.

Our team is highly experienced in innovative techniques such as kidney exchange and desensitization to make transplants more likely to succeed. Our extensive experience with adult kidney transplant and pediatric kidney transplant makes us a trusted choice for living donor kidney transplant.

Kidney donor questionnaire: how to become a kidney donor

The best way to determine suitability for donation is to complete this online questionnaire. The transplant team will obtain medical and personal information for initial review. Any questions about individual issues can be discussed confidentially with a transplant coordinator. It is important to understand that the Living Donor Team cannot reach out to a potential donor until they have specified their wish to donate. Our automated system will inform you if you are eligible to move forward with the donor evaluation process upon completion.

Note: Please complete the questionnaire from a laptop or desktop (and not a mobile device) to better concentrate on critically important questions regarding your health. If you have any questions or concerns please contact us at [email protected] or by phone at 866-672-5333 (toll-free).

Guide to living kidney donation

Donating a kidney so someone can live a life free of dialysis is one of the greatest gifts a person can give. This unselfish act to a relative, loved one, or friend gives the donor an opportunity to greatly improve the quality of life for someone they love or want to help.

In our community and across the country, thousands of people are in need of a kidney transplant. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Wait List continues to grow every year, while the number of deceased donor organs has remained steady over the past decade. The shortage has prompted a nationwide effort to increase living organ donation.

This guide will explain the process involved in the testing and acceptance of a potential donor. It is intended to answer questions for those considering donation, as we understand this is an emotional, personal and sometimes difficult decision.

The potential donor

The “perfect” donor would be a healthy identical twin, but few people have this option. However, advances in medications that keep the body from rejecting a less-than-perfectly-matched kidney have made it possible for siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and adult children to donate, as well as people who are not related by blood. These willing, emotionally related donors–spouses, coworkers, and friends–have expanded the pool of potential donors for recipients whose family members cannot donate. While many people are willing to be living donors, not everyone has the qualities necessary to participate in living donation. Donors must be chosen carefully in order to avoid outcomes that are medically and psychologically unsatisfactory.

More than one friend or family member may want to donate to a recipient. The transplant team will help determine the best suitable donor but the final decision rests with the donor and recipient. The best-matched donor is not always the “best” donor. While the individual circumstances of each potential donor are discussed privately and tested to determine compatibility, all potential donors must be genuinely willing to donate, physically fit, in good general health; and free from diabetes, cancer, kidney disease and heart disease. Individuals considered for living donation are usually between 18-70 years of age. Gender and race are not factors in determining a successful match.

Other factors to consider are the potential donor’s availability for testing, surgery, and recovery time or the financial strain this time off may cause. Potential donors must have support available during recovery to help with transportation, meals, and doctor’s visits. Travel and lodging expenses are the donor’s responsibility and may add to the financial burden, especially for donors who do not live in the area.

Please note: It is the policy of our Living Donor Program regarding matches found on social networking sites such as Matchingdonors.com or Craig’s List that the potential donors must be at least 25 years of age and have current health insurance coverage to be considered as a potential donor.

Living related donors are healthy blood relatives of transplant candidates.

They can be:

• brothers and sisters
• parents
• children (over 18 years of age)
• other blood relatives (aunts, uncles, cousins, half brothers and sisters, grandparents/ grandchildren, nieces and nephews)

Living unrelated donors may be emotionally close to, but not related by blood, to the transplant candidate.

They can be:

• spouses
• in-law relatives
• close friends
• co-workers, neighbors and acquaintances

Altruistic donors are people who do not have a specific recipient in mind, and wish to donate a kidney to help anyone waiting for a kidney transplant so they can have a much healthier life off of dialysis. Sometimes Altruistic Donors are able to start a chain of transplants in our Paired Exchange Program.

Conditions that MAY prevent a person from being accepted as a donor:

• Diabetes
• Significant obesity
• Positive HIV status
• A history of hepatitis
• Uncontrolled or newly diagnosed high blood pressure or the use of multiple medications to control high blood pressure
• A history of more than one episode of kidney stones
• Chronic use of some medications for arthritis or other chronic pain
• Cancer
• Mental illness
• Strong family history of kidney disease or diabetes

It is important to understand that it is illegal to buy and sell an organ in the United States.

Non-matching living donor options

If a donor and recipient have a different blood type, or their tissue typing does not match, they can participate in one of the following alternative living donor programs, Paired Exchange or Blood Type Incompatible Kidney Transplant. As long as a UCLA recipient has a healthy potential living donor they can be a donor for that recipient in some way.

Other programs we offer to accomodate our donors and recipients are our Kidney Advanced Donor Program and Kidney Voucher Program coordinated through our Paired Exchange Program. For donors that due to personal reasons need to donate during a specific time and cannot wait until their recipient completes their evaluation and is ready for transplant, they can participate in our Advanced Donor Program. For donors with recipients that have chronic kidney disease and will eventually develop end-stage renal disease, donors can participate in our Voucher Program and donate in anticipation of their recipient requiring transplant.

The following process is used to determine if someone can be a donor. This is a general description of the testing process, and may vary from center to center:

1. A medical history review and physical examination. An extensive review of all systems, including previous illnesses and surgeries and past family medical history. Any abnormalities found are investigated further before invasive tests are performed.
2. A financial consultation will be used to determine financial and insurance coverage for the testing process and the donation itself. Generally, if the donation is to a family member or friend, the recipient’s insurance will pay for testing and surgery expenses. However, the donor might be responsible for travel expenses (if the donor and recipient live in different towns/states) and follow-up care, in addition to lost wages. Since donors are never financially compensated, be sure to ask the financial counselor and/or social worker at the transplant center for assistance with these issues.
3. Immunological Tests: A blood sample is taken for the following tests:
   • ABO test to determine the donor’s blood type: O, A, B, or AB
     Please note that there are some programs that may help donor/recipient pairs with blood types that are incompatible: paired exchange and plasmapheresis.
   • Tissue typing is used to identify the donor’s particular HLA antigens and determine if the donor and recipient are compatible. Each person’s tissues, except for identical twins, are different from everyone else’s. It is believed that the better the tissue match, the more successful the transplant will be over a longer period of time

An antigen is a genetic marker. Genetic markers are unique to your body. You may hear these called HLA, or human leukocyte antigens. The process of identifying these antigens is called tissue typing. The leukocytes, or white cells, in your blood carry these antigens and are used to identify them. More than 7,000 to 8,000 combinations of known antigens are possible.

Donating a kidney is no small thing. Even so, you don’t have to overhaul your lifestyle after surgery. “You need to be in good health in order to donate. So a lot of the steps you took to get healthy are the same steps that will help you stay that way,” says Susan Hou, MD.

One should know: In addition to serving as a transplant nephrologist at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, she donated a kidney to a stranger in 2002. “Very little changed for me afterward,” Hou says. “It was a great experience.”

If you’re considering donating a kidney, these four moves can keep you healthy after surgery and for years to come.

1. Go Easy on Yourself

Most kidney donation surgeries are what doctors call minimally invasive. They require a few small cuts. That makes recovery faster and less painful than it would be with open surgery and a large cut in your body.

Even so, clear your schedule and plan to get lots of rest. “Your abdomen may be sore for a week or so after surgery,” Hou says. You should be able to go back to work within 10 to 14 days. If you have a physically demanding job, like construction, it’s better to take 6 weeks off. Don’t lift anything heavy — that includes your children — for the first month.В

2. Work With Your Medical Team

Your surgeon or donor coordinator will schedule a follow-up for you. It usually takes place a few weeks after surgery. “That appointment is really important, so don’t delay or skip it,” says Tim E. Taber, MD, the medical director for kidney transplantation at Indiana University Health.

You should also see your doctor at least once a year. “He’ll check your urine and blood to see how your kidney is doing,” Taber says. “He’ll also screen for problems like high blood pressure and diabetes, which can contribute to kidney disease.”

If you notice blood in your urine or unusual swelling (especially in your legs and ankles), see your doctor right away. Those may be signs your kidney isn’t working right.

Continued

3. Keep Up Your Healthy Lifestyle

“I was always health conscious. But before surgery, I started exercising more and getting serious about keeping my stress levels in check,” says Roberta Mittman, who donated a kidney to her sister in 2004.

Those healthy lifestyle habits stuck, says the New York City resident, who’s now in her 60s. “Twelve years later, I’m still going strong, as is my sister.”

As Mittman suggests, you should try to maintain a healthy lifestyle:

Drink alcohol in moderation (or skip it altogether). More than two to three drinks a day can damage your kidney and increase your risk of problems like high blood pressure.

Stop smoking (or don’t start). It damages all of your organs, including your kidneys.

Mind your meds. Talk to your doctor about all the medications you take, including over-the-counter pills and supplements. Some common medicines, like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), may be hard on your kidney if you take them regularly or in high doses.

Eat well. You don’t need to follow a special diet, even right after surgery. But nutrient-rich foods will help you keep your weight in check and lower your risk of high blood pressure and diabetes. That, in turn, will keep your kidney healthy. Some doctors think kidney donors should avoid eating too much protein, especially from protein powder or supplements. That’s because excess protein may make your kidney work harder.

Stay hydrated. Water is crucial for keeping your kidney working the way it should. “I was never a big water drinker before donation. Now I’m much more careful about making sure I’m hydrated,” Mittman says.

Be cautious about high-risk sports. It’s highly unlikely that you’ll be in an accident — sports-related or otherwise — that damages your kidney, Hou says. Even so, talk to your doctor or donor coordinator if you’re into contact sports like hockey, football, or martial arts. They might recommend you wear a padded protective vest.

4. Remember That It’s Normal to Feel Blue

“Donating a kidney is an incredible gift,” Taber says. Knowing that you’re helping another person stay alive can make you feel great, even long after the surgery is done.

Continued

Even so, it’s normal to feel blue, especially in the weeks after donation. “People in the medical community put you on a pedestal. But after surgery, you’re back home, and it can feel like you’re on your own. That can be tough,” says Lee Adams. She lives in the Baltimore area and donated a kidney to her brother-in-law in 2007.

Fortunately, that “what now?” feeling is usually short lived. Even so, don’t wait to seek help if you’re sad — or even if you just have questions or concerns.

“Donation is major surgery,” says Adams, who now frequently speaks with people who plan to donate. “Since you weren’t the one with kidney disease, you might feel guilty expressing doubt. But you should always feel good about speaking up. I still call my donor coordinator when I need to, and she happily answers every time.”

Sources

Susan Hou, MD, transplant nephrologist, Loyola University Medical Center, Chicago.

National Kidney Foundation: “What to Expect After Donation.”

Tim Taber, MD, nephrologist, medical director for kidney transplantation, Indiana University Health, Indianapolis.

American Association of Kidney Patients: “What Can You Expect After Donating a Kidney?”

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In this Article

In this Article

• How Old Is Too Old?
• Is There a Downside to a Kidney From an Older Donor?

The reason most hospitals suggest an age minimum of 18 for kidney donors isn’t because a young kidney is too small. Studies have shown that a kidney from a 6-year-old is all right to transplant into an adult.

Instead, the main reason is that people under 18 are minors and can’t legally give their “informed consent” proving that they agree to the procedure. Also, some genetic kidney diseases won’t have started to cause symptoms yet in young children and teenagers, so it’s hard to know if their kidneys may be affected by disease.

How Old Is Too Old?

At many institutions, donors over the age of 60, 65, or even 70 are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Between 1990 and 2010, 219 people over the age of 70 donated kidneys, and researchers say the number of donors in this age group is on the rise.

Surgeons will make their decisions for this older group based on a potential donor’s health and how well their kidneys work. If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or are overweight, you probably won’t qualify to be a donor. Even if you don’t have health complications, the surgeon who would operate on you would make the final decision on whether to allow you to donate a kidney.

Is There a Downside to a Kidney From an Older Donor?

When studies have compared older kidneys — those from people over age 50 or even over age 70 — to kidneys from younger donors, they’ve found some minor differences.

Kidneys from younger donors seem to work better over the long term. But people who get older kidneys are just as likely to be alive 5 years after a transplant as those that receive younger kidneys. Plus, the chances of complications from the procedure, and of organ rejection — when someone’s immune system attacks their new kidney — are the same with kidneys from all age groups.

The takeaway from these studies is that kidneys from older donors can work, but younger people in need of a kidney may want to consider being matched with younger donors.

Sources

California Pacific Medical Center: “Top 10 Questions About Living Kidney Donation.”

Medscape: “Age Limit for Kidney Donors?”

National Kidney Registry: “Health Guidelines for Living Donations.”

Transplantation: “Kidneys from older living donors provide excellent intermediate-term outcomes after transplantation.”

Clinical Journal of the American Society for Nephrology: “Living Kidney Donors Ages 70 and Older: Recipient and Donor Outcomes.”

• Living Kidney Home
• Introduction to Living Donation
• How to Find a Living Kidney Donor
• Options for Living Kidney Donation
• Be a Living Donor Champion
• Experiencing Living Kidney Donation
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Patient Stories
• Request Materials
• Transplant

Social media is a fast and easy way to tell people that someone needs a living donor, and lets your friends share that fact with other people outside your immediate social circle.

Create a Facebook Page – Dos and Don’ts

If you don’t have an existing page, or wish to keep that private, start by creating a new Facebook page (or ask your living donor champion to do this). Following are five tips for what to keep in mind when you’re creating the post. Recent research has proven that the first three are important things to do when using Facebook to find a living donor:

1. Share the patient’s personal information, including age, location, photograph, and the cause of their kidney disease. Help people understand how much they want to be healthy, and that a living donor will save their life. Keep it short.
2. Include the way they can take the next step cy including this URL:
3. To expand how many people will see the posts, ask others to share it on their own page, and to “Like” your posts.
4. Do not include your personal contact information, or the names/contact information of the transplant team.
5. Avoid giving any impression that you are asking for money, and/or share any fundraising information.

Sample Facebook Post

Below is a sample post. You would adapt the language if being posted by a living donor champion.

More than 90,000 people in the United States are waiting for a kidney donation.

Register to be a Donor

Registration takes less than a minute.

of patients waiting are in need of a kidney.

3 to 5 years

is the average waiting time for a kidney from a deceased donor.

A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure to place a kidney from a living or deceased donor into a person whose kidneys no longer function properly. Currently, 90,000 people in the United States are on the national transplant waiting list for a donor kidney. So what are the basics of kidney donation? Read on for more information.

A kidney transplant is used to treat kidney failure (also called end-stage renal disease, ESRD), a condition in which kidneys can function at only a fraction of their normal capacity. People with end-stage kidney disease need either dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive.

Causes of kidney failure may include diabetes, polycystic kidney disease (PKD), chronic uncontrolled high blood pressure (hypertension), or chronic glomerulonephritis (an inflammation and eventual scarring of the glomeruli — the tiny filters within your kidneys).

UNOS Transplant Living describes dialysis as a treatment that uses a filtering machine or a special fluid in your belly to filter waste out of your body. This is usually something kidneys do. It’s important to know that dialysis only filters out waste — it can’t replace other functions of your kidneys, such as making hormones. Dialysis only does 10-15% of the work that a healthy kidney would do. For some people, dialysis is the only option for treating kidney disease. For others, dialysis keeps them alive until a kidney is found for a transplant. The National Kidney Foundation states that each hemodialysis treatment usually lasts about four hours and is done three times per week.

Because a person can live with only one kidney, living donation offers another choice for some transplant candidates. The average waiting time for a donor kidney from a deceased donor is 3 to 5 years. A kidney from a living donor offers patients an alternative to years of dialysis and time on the national transplant waiting list. With living donation, a patient may be able to receive a transplant in 1 year or less. After donation, the living organ donor’s remaining kidney will enlarge, doing the work of 2 healthy kidneys.

Family members are often the most likely to be compatible living kidney donors, but many people undergo successful transplants with kidneys donated from people who are not related to them. Living donors will have a full medical exam, must be at least 18 years old, and in good physical and mental health. Different transplant centers have different limits on who can donate. The Kidney Transplant Learning Center offers resources on how to prepare to make the living donor ask and/or to have a family member or friend serve as a living donor champion.

A woman Laurell had never met, living many miles away, wanted to give Laurell one of her kidneys. Learn more about Laurell and Katherine’s living donation story.

Every 10 minutes, another person is added to the national transplant waiting list — and 82% of patients waiting are in need of a kidney. On average, a living donor kidney can function anywhere between 12 to 20 years, and a deceased donor kidney can improve quality of life for 8 to 12 years. Plus, patients who receive preemptive kidney transplant see a number of benefits (especially for children and adolescents with end-stage kidney disease).

Per Mayo Clinic , other benefits include lower risk of rejection of the donor kidney, improved survival rates, improved quality of life, lower treatment costs, and avoiding the restrictions and complications of dialysis.

Kidney transplant recipients can expect to spend several days to a week in the hospital. Transplant recipients may take a number of medications after transplant, many for the rest of their lives. The medications help reduce the risk of complications after transplant.

By signing up to become an organ, eye, and tissue donor, you can make a difference in the lives of more than 75 people. Register to become a donor.