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Can Anyone Donate A Kidney

Where Can I Find Statistics Related To Living Donation

Donating a Kidney to Anyone in Need

You can find some statistics on the United Network for Organ Sharing web site. UNOS compiles statistics on every transplant center in the United States. To view all UNOS data, . You can find statistics on the number of non-living and living donor transplants performed at that particular center, respectively, and the graft survival rates for the transplant recipient.

The best source of information on expected donor outcomes is from your transplant team. Talk with them about general risks including long and short term, as well as any specific concerns you have regarding your personal health status.

for detailed statistics on short-term complications from living donation .

Living Liver Donor Transplants Save Lives

With more than 14,000 people on the waiting list for a liver transplant in the U.S. and a shortage of donated organs, the wait can be long. Unfortunately, this means that 25 to 30% of patients on the waitlist never receive the transplant they need because they become too sick for transplant or die.

Living liver donation is a life-saving alternative. With living donation, patients can receive the liver transplant they need much more quickly. A living liver donor transplant has many advantages:

  • Quicker access to a transplant, before patients become too sick
  • Healthier recipients have a lower risk of complications during and after transplant surgery
  • Great option for patients with lower MELD scores or liver cancer who will most likely remain on the waitlist for a long time
  • Higher quality of liver from living donors who undergo extensive testing
  • Surgery can be scheduled when the recipient is healthiest and when its convenient for the donor

How Long Can A 60 Year Old Live On Dialysis

At age 60 years, a healthy person can expect to live for more than 20 years, whereas the life expectancy of a patient aged 60 years who is starting hemodialysis is closer to 4 years. Among patients aged 65 years or older who have ESRD, mortality rates are 6 times higher than in the general population.

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What Potential Donors Need To Know About Living Kidney Donation

Pop singer Selena Gomez revealed personal news in mid-September 2017 that shocked her fans: The 25-year-old had recently received a kidney transplant due to complications of lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease. And the donor? Her best friend, 29-year-old actress Francia Raisa.

Questions began to pour in about the starlets condition: How could someone so young have kidney failure? What will Raisas life be like now with one kidney?

Though Gomezs story was high-profile, her situation actually is quite common. More than 96,000 people were on the waiting list for a kidney in October 2017, according to data from the United Network for Organ Sharing . And in 2016, nearly 30 percent of the more than 19,000 kidneys transplanted in the U.S. came from living kidney donors such as Raisa people with two healthy kidneys who voluntarily have one removed to transplant in someone whose kidneys have failed.

For someone who needs a kidney transplant, asking a loved one or friend is a major request. Likewise, its a huge gift when a donor agrees. Living kidney donation can be a really beautiful, bonding experience. And living kidney donation is incredibly safe for donors fewer than 1 percent of donors will wind up on dialysis themselves in the future, which is only slightly higher than the average risk of an individual with two healthy kidneys.

Answers To Common Questions

Someone you know needs a kidney. Through a donor exchange ...

The team looking after you is not able to contact living donors on your behalf. If you would like a kidney transplant from a living donor, you will need to talk to family and friends and ask if they are interested in giving you a kidney.

Your doctor can advise on ways to do this.

  • Living donors are often blood relatives. But they can also be a friend, family member, or partner
  • They do not need to be the same age, blood group or tissue type as you
  • Living donors must be aged 18 years or older, and be in good health

Yes. If you have a living donor but they have not yet finished all their tests , you can join the transplant waiting list for a deceased donor kidney.

However, usually once you have been given a date for your transplant operation from the living donor your name will be taken off the national waiting list.

If you are offered a deceased donor kidney but you have a potential living kidney donor who is close to completing their tests, you will need to discuss your options with your kidney transplant team. They will advise you on the best thing to do.

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Are You Willing To Live With One Kidney

Most healthy people have no trouble living with one kidney. You’ll probably have a catheter in for a day or two after surgery, but after that, you should urinate normally. That said, “you lose 50% of your kidney function the moment one is removed,” Vassalotti says.

The good news: The remaining kidney actually works harder and better. Within a few weeks, it should be able to do about 70% of the work that two kidneys usually do, Vassalotti says.

Once you’ve fully recovered, you probably won’t feel any different. But you will need to take some precautions that people with two healthy kidneys don’t need to worry about.

Nothdurft, for example, was advised to limit his use of pain relievers that doctors call NSAIDs , because they could damage the kidney. He also sees his doctor regularly to make sure that his blood pressure is well-controlled, since high blood pressure is closely linked with kidney problems.

You’ll also have to ask yourself how comfortable you are with fact that you’ll no longer have a kidney to spare, should you or a loved one eventually develop kidney disease.

Am I Healthy Enough To Donate A Kidney

Your doctor will do some tests to find out for sure. Theyâll 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, theyâll 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.

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Hepatitis B Core Antibody Positive Donors

UF Health allows donations from patients who have had hepatitis B in the past but have tested negative for more serious hepatitis B surface antigen and viral proteins . These organs are only used in recipients who have antibody against hepatitis B.

Testing will be done to check if the donor has hepatitis virus in the blood, which is rare. If the recipient were to test positive for the virus, the anti-viral treatment would continue for a longer period of time.

Living Donation From Someone You Know

Can I donate a kidney if I’m not related to the recipient?

Most living kidney donors are close relatives, partners or good friends of the person having the kidney transplant.

Asking someone to be your living donor

The team looking after you are not able to contact living donors on your behalf. If you would like a kidney transplant from a living donor, you will need to talk to family and friends and ask if they are interested in giving you a kidney.

Your transplant team can advise on ways to do this.

What happens if a relative, partner or friend agrees to be your living donor?

1. Tell your transplant team. They will give you the details of the person your potential kidney donor will need to contact.

Find the contact details for the relevant kidney transplant centre

2. If your potential living donor is happy to go ahead with donation, they will have a series of tests. These will check the health of their heart and lungs, and check that their kidney function is excellent.

3. The team looking after your potential living donor will not allow them to donate a kidney if there is a serious risk to their health.

4. The operation to remove a kidney from a living donor takes 2-3 hours and is usually done through keyhole surgery.

5. Most living donors are in hospital for 2-4 days after their surgery. There are risks to donating a kidney, and these will be fully explained to the potential donor.

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Who Can Have A Kidney Transplant

Most people who need a kidney transplant are able to have one, regardless of their age, as long as:

  • they’re well enough to withstand the effects of surgery
  • the transplant has a relatively good chance of success
  • the person is willing to comply with the recommended treatments required after the transplant such as taking immunosuppressant medication and attending regular follow-up appointments

Reasons why it may not be safe or effective to perform a transplant include having an ongoing infection , severe heart disease, cancer that has spread to several places in your body, or AIDS.

Legal Issues Related To Payment For Donation

The National Organ Transplantation Act of 1984 specifically prohibits the exchange of “valuable consideration” for a human organ .

Therefore, it is illegal to sell organs if this occurs, it is punishable by fines, imprisonment, or both.

However, the payment of “the expenses of travel, housing, and lost wages incurred by the donor of a human organ in connection with the donation of the organ” is expressly permitted by section 301 of NOTA.

Learn more about the National Organ Transplantation Act .

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How Do I Donate A Kidney

If you know someone who needs a kidney, and you are interested in donating a kidney :

  • Learn about the benefits and risks of living kidney donation.
  • Contact the transplant center where the potential recipient is registered.
  • The transplant center will set up an evaluation to find out if you are healthy enough to donate and a good match for your kidney recipient.
  • If the transplant center decides that you are healthy and you are a good match for your recipient, they may approve and schedule your donation.

How to prepare for your living kidney donation.

If you are not a match for your kidney recipient, you may still be able to help through a paired kidney exchange. This allows you to donate your kidney to a different recipient in exchange for a kidney that is a match for your recipient. Talk with the transplant center if you would like to take part in a paired kidney exchange.

You can also donate a kidney to someone you do not know, which is called a living nondirected donation. If you are interested in a nondirected donation, contact a local transplant center. You will never be forced to donate.

Becoming A Living Kidney Donor

Is it safe to donate a kidney to someone?

To be a living kidney donor, you must be of good physical and mental health. You would typically be between the ages of 18 and 60 years, and you must be free of any diseases that could affect the health of the person receiving the kidney. A specialist medical team will test to make sure you are a matching blood and tissue type. A close match is more likely with genetically related donors.

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Benefits And Risks Of Kidney Transplant

For people with kidney failure, a kidney transplant can increase your chances of living a longer, healthier life. Because dialysis can only do part of what healthy kidneys do for your body, people who have a kidney transplant usually live longer than those on dialysis. A kidney from a transplant will not work as well as kidneys in a healthy person. But your health may be almost as good as a person with healthy kidneys, as long as you closely follow your doctor’s orders after the transplant surgery.

Also, when you get a kidney transplant, you may avoid some of the complications that people on dialysis often have, such as bone problems and heart disease.

A kidney transplant can improve your quality of life. After your kidney transplant, you may have:

  • More energy
  • Fewer limits on what you can eat
  • More free time from not having to go to dialysis
  • More flexibility to travel
  • Greater ability to work and hold a job

Risks with a kidney transplant are the same as with any major surgery. Risk does not mean these things will happen, but it means they could happen. Some of the risks are infection, bleeding, or damage to other organs. Also, the three connections between your new kidney and your body: the artery, vein and ureter , might leak or become blocked. Read more about the kidney transplant surgery here.

What Is Living Donation

Living donation takes place when a living person donates an organ for transplantation to another person. The living donor can be a family member, such as a parent, child, brother or sister .

Living donation can also come from someone who is emotionally related to the recipient, such as a good friend, spouse or an in-law . Thanks to improved medications, a genetic link between the donor and recipient is no longer required to ensure a successful transplant.

In some cases, living donation may even be from a stranger, which is called anonymous or non-directed donation.

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What Happens After Surgery

Your doctor will prescribe medications to help manage your pain. Theyâll 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 thatâs 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.

Kidney Donation After Death

Is it safe to donate a kidney to someone?

You can register your decision to donate your organs after death through the Australian Organ Donor Register. Kidney transplants have a high success rate and by donating after death, you will be giving someone the potential to have a longer and more active life than they would have had on dialysis treatment.A transplant from a deceased donor can be used for medically suitable people who have been stabilised on dialysis.You must be declared dead before your organs and body tissues can be used. The two legal definitions of death in Australia are:

  • brain death when a person’s brain permanently stops functioning
  • circulatory death when a person’s heart permanently stops functioning in their body.

The type of death and the health of the organs and tissues of the potential donor dictate how the organ and tissue donation process will occur, and which organs and tissues can be donated.

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How Risky Is The Process Of Being A Living Donor

HIGH SUCCESS RATE

A kidney transplant from a living donor generally has a higher success rate because the kidney may be a better genetic match and, therefore, not as likely to be rejected. Also, the time between the donor and recipient surgeries is usually minimal, which may improve long-term transplant survival. Surgery can be planned for a time when both the donor and recipient are healthiest, which positively affects healing time.

Generally, recipients with a kidney from a living donor have a 9% success rate at the end of one year, and transplanted kidneys from living donors can remain healthy for 15-18 years. For transplants from a deceased donor, the success rate is also high. Eighty-five to ninety percent of these kidney are working well after one year and will last, on average, from 10-15 years.

Although the Living Donation Team cannot predict when the surgery will happen, if assessments are complete for both donor and recipient, depending on the transplant centre, the process may take as little as six months from the start to the surgery date. In comparison, a recipient on the deceased donor list may wait 2-5 years for a transplant. Patients who have received a new kidney often feel as if they have received a new lease on life.

FOLLOW UPMany kidney donors are now being followed up annually by a nephrologist. Find out if your centre provides this important service for donors.

What Are The Requirements For A Kidney Transplant

If you have advanced kidney disease, you may be eligible for a transplant. You will need to be evaluated by a transplant center, which will do a number of tests to determine whether you are a good candidate for a kidney transplant. In general, qualifications for kidney transplant include having chronic irreversible kidney disease, being on dialysis now or being close to needing dialysis. You may be ineligible for a kidney transplant if you have an additional life-threatening disease, a history of chronic drug or alcohol abuse, or a serious psychiatric disorder.

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Do You Gain Weight After Donating A Kidney

Overall, among all donors, weight increased significantly following kidney donation from 79.5 ± 2.5 kg to 81.8 ± 2.7 kg at last follow-up (mean difference 2.3 ± 0.9 kg, P What should you not eat with one kidney?

If you have a single kidney because you had a transplant or if you have kidney disease, you may need to limit the amount of sodium, phosphorous, and protein in your diet. This is because your kidney cant remove them from your blood very well, so they build up. You may also have to limit the amount of fluids you drink.

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