How to Help

There are a few common requirements for people who are interested in living donation. You must be at least 18 years old. Some transplant centers require a donor to be 21 or even a little older. There are some medical conditions that could prevent you from being a living donor, including having uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, or cancer. If you’re a smoker, you will most likely be asked to quit before being approved to donate. You should be honest with the team about your smoking habits to make sure that the donation and transplant are successful.

Each transplant center has slightly different requirements, so you should always let the transplant center decide who would be a good donor. If you are approved as a living donor at one transplant center, you may be able to get evaluated at other centers who have different requirements.

What if I’m not a match?

If you turn out not to be a good match, another option is a “paired exchange”. A paired exchange involves two pairs of living donors and their recipients. The two recipients “swap” donors so that each receives a kidney from the other person’s donor. If this is an option for you, your transplant team will coordinate the entire process, including finding the other matching pair.

Benefits

While there are no physical benefits for a living donor to donate a kidney, kidney transplant can save the life of someone with kidney failure. People with kidney failure who receive a transplant can live longer and enjoy life more, especially giving them freedom from staying on dialysis.

Getting a living donor transplant has several benefits for the recipient with kidney failure compared to getting a deceased donor transplant:

  • A shorter wait – Having a living donor means the patient no longer has to wait on dialysis. If someone has kidney failure and can find a donor before they need to start dialysis, they may be able to get a preemptive transplant, meaning they don’t have to go on dialysis at all.

  • A better match – Some living donor transplants are done between family members who are genetically similar, but you can be a great match with someone you are not related to. A better genetic match lessens the risk of rejection.

  • Lasts longer - On average, a kidney from a living donor lasts about 15 to 20 years, compared to 7 to 10 years for a kidney from a deceased donor. Some will last longer; others will last less. Living donor kidneys also have a better chance at working right away than deceased donor kidneys.

  • Better timing – With a living donor, it is possible to plan the surgery day and time at a good time for the pair and the transplant team. This way, both the kidney patient and their living donor can be at their healthiest.