How Living Kidney Donors Save Lives
The need for living donors is urgent
The need for living donors is urgent
There are more than 101,000 Americans on the waiting list to receive a kidney. Each year, only 17,000 kidneys become available, leaving thousands in critical need. That’s where living donors can help.
“Living donor organ transplantation, specifically donating a kidney, is a great way for people who have end-stage renal disease to get off dialysis,” explains Jenny Lam, MD, a transplant surgeon at Scripps Clinic.
With a living donor, a transplant — from the donor being approved to the surgery — can take a few months to a year versus waiting for up to 10 years on the list. You can also get a better match in terms of blood type, especially if the donor is genetically similar.
“Kidneys from a living donor can last longer — they often have a longer graft survival compared to a kidney from a deceased donor,” Dr. Lam says. “And the surgery can be done electively, meaning we can coordinate it in advance, rather than getting the call that we have to go into surgery immediately.”
Who can be a living donor?
A living donor can be anybody — a friend or family member or even an altruistic stranger.
“You don’t have to actually be a match to the person you’re donating for,” Dr. Lam explains. “Thanks to work with a third party that helps us match living kidney donations with compatible recipients. If the recipient has someone who is willing to donate, they can receive a matched kidney from someone else who has chosen to donate.”
Donors are assessed to make sure they’re healthy enough for surgery and that donating a kidney won’t harm their health. Donors see multiple health care providers prior to surgery and work with a living donor advocate who supports them through the process.
Surgery takes several hours, requires a short hospital stay and involves roughly four weeks of recovery time.
While there are risks to any surgery, the risks to the donor during a kidney transplant are low, while the reward is high.
“The most important benefit,” Dr. Lam concludes, “is that by donating a kidney, you can save someone’s life.”
This content appeared in San Diego Health, a publication in partnership between Scripps and San Diego Magazine that celebrates the healthy spirit of San Diego.