About Kidney Donation

What are the risks associated with Live Kidney Donation?

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Donating a kidney and living with one kidney will not affect your quality of life. Your remaining kidney will grow in size and easily take on the work that the other one was doing. You will have no limitations in your activities. Also, if you ever develop kidney disease after donation, you will immediately be placed at the top of the list to receive a kidney. Live kidney donation doesn’t discriminate against race, gender or age, only overall health and blood type are factors.

 

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Does it shorten your life to donate a kidney?

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Donating a kidney does not affect a person’s life expectancy, studies show that people who donate a kidney outlive the average population. Twenty years after donating, 85% of kidney donors were still alive, while the normal expected survival rate for 20 years otherwise is only 66%.

 

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What if I want to donate but I have a health condition?

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Donors cannot have diabetes, cancer, severe hypertension, kidney disease, heart disease, or have issues with alcohol or drugs. 

 

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What blood types are compatible for kidney transplant?

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AB patients can receive a kidney of any blood type. They are the universal recipient. Patients with blood type A can receive a kidney from someone with O or A blood type. Patients with blood type B can receive a kidney from someone with O or B blood type. Patients with blood type O can only receive a kidney from someone with blood type O.

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What if I want to donate, but I don't live anywhere close to Sarah or Mass General Hospital?

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You can absolutely still be a donor for Sarah! All out of state donors will get their tests done locally, and they can choose to donate at a local transplant center, then the kidney would be immediately flown to Boston and given to Sarah.