Learn more about kidney donation

A matching kidney would be ideal. However, a direct match is not necessary. A kidney may be donated on Sam’s behalf through the National Kidney Registry (NKR) to help another person in need but who also has an incompatible donor. Sam would receive a compatible kidney from a donor donating on behalf of an incompatible recipient and that recipient would then receive a kidney from a different unmatched donor-recipient pair.

The NKR would issue a voucher to Sam which is like an IOU for a kidney. The NKR employs data from across the U.S. to match donors with compatible recipients. That increases the number of transplants performed each year and makes for the best patient outcomes.

Donors can live a normal life after donation. The NKR (National Kidney Registry) will fully evaluate everybody prior to allowing them to donate and if they do determine that there are contraindications to donation and that the donor would be at high risk then they will not clear that person to donate

A kidney donor will be given prescriptions for pain medication and stool softeners at discharge from the hospital.  These are only for the immediate post-operative period, after that time, a donor does not have to take medication.  A kidney donor will never have to take anti-rejection medications

You will be given a general anesthetic and will be asleep for the entire procedure.  Most kidney removals (nephrectomies) are done using a laparoscopic surgery, which is a minimally invasive surgery that uses small incisions and a special camera.  In this case, the surgeon will make one or more incisions in your abdomen, carefully remove one kidney, then close the incision(s).  Laparoscopic surgery typically results in a shorter hospital stay, less pain and scarring, faster recovery time, and few post-operative complications.  In cases where laparoscopic surgery is not possible, you may have open surgery to remove your kidney.  Your transplant center can give you the most current medical information about the specific surgery you will undergo.

The recovery time after living kidney donation surgery will vary depending on several factors, including the type of surgery and the donor’s individual rate of recovery.  Typically, a living kidney donor will be in the hospital for one to three days after donation, should not fly for a minimum of one week after donation and will need between two and four weeks of recovery time before returning to work.