Living Donation
If you would like to consider being a living kidney donor to Kelsey, please send an e-mail to kidney4kp@hotmail.com. Living donation is a transplant surgery performed between two living adults. Donors can live a normal, healthy life with only one kidney.
There are many benefits of receiving a kidney from a living donor:
- No waiting period
- Surgeries can be scheduled at a convenient time for both the donor and recipient (the surgeries are performed at the same time)
- A kidney from a live donor typically works sooner and better than a kidney from a deceased person
- A kidney from a live donor lasts longer than a kidney from a deceased person
- There are currently over 98,000 people waiting for life-saving organ transplants nationally.
- One person is added to the list every 12 minutes
- 18 people die each day from the lack of available organs for transplant
Minimum Requirements to Donate to Kelsey
Living kidney donors must:
- Be over the age of 18
- Have a blood type of O [can be either O+ or O-]
Can I live with only one kidney?
Yes. The body has two kidneys and is capable of normal function with only one kidney. The remaining kidney will grow larger and function for both kidneys.
I want to be a kidney donor, what’s next?
Once you’ve made the decision that you want to be a living kidney donor, a series of tests must be performed to determine if you are in fact an eligible candidate. Before you begin the testing process, you need to know your blood type.
First Phase of Testing for Living Kidney Donation
- Medical history questionnaire
- Blood tests (screening tests and possibly tests for compatibility with the potential recipient)
- Urine studies, including a 24-hour urine collection
- Psychological/sociological examination and screening
Second Phase of Testing for Living Kidney Donation
- Chest X-ray and EKG
- Evaluation and discussion of the donor surgery with a transplant surgeon
- Consultation with a social worker for a psych/social screening
- Evaluation and consultation with a nurse coordinator
- 24-hour urine collection
- Any additional testing deemed necessary based on the results of the initial tests
These tests will generally be completed in one visit. It is preferable that the testing be done at the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver by members of their Kidney Transplant Team. However, potential donors from outside of Colorado may undergo some of these tests in their local community, preferably at another transplant center in consultation with our transplant team.
If all of these tests show that you are a suitable donor, one final study to assess your kidney anatomy is required. The donor surgery and kidney transplant may then be scheduled for the earliest appropriate time for you and the recipient.
Laparoscopic Surgery – Breakthrough Technique
The living donor surgery at the University of Colorado Hospital is performed by a hand-assisted laparoscopic procedure. It is a minimally invasive procedure, which will allow you to recover faster and experience less post-operative pain than you would with the standard open surgery.
How much will it cost me to donate a kidney?
The treatment related to the donor surgery within the first three months will not cost you anything. This includes your:
- Pre-operative evaluation
- Surgery
- Hospital stay
- Outpatient visits
- Medical treatment
These costs are paid by the recipient or the recipient's insurance company.
Additional information on kidney donation is available at the following websites:
www.uch.edu/transplant
www.transplantliving.org
www.optn.org
www.paireddonation.org
If you would like to consider being a living kidney donor to Kelsey, please send an e-mail to kidney4kp@hotmail.com.