When it comes to finding a kidney donor, the process can be daunting. It may take time to find the right transplant center, complete the transplant evaluation, explore living kidney donor options, and meet the deceased donor. Fortunately, there are several ways to find a compatible donor and receive a successful transplant. The best way to find a kidney donor is to have interested family and friends take a potential compatibility test.
If you cannot find a donor this way and you are a suitable candidate for a transplant, the transplant center will place you on the transplant waiting list. Finding a living donor can be difficult. Some patients say that it is more difficult than the transplant itself. Every path to transplantation is different, and it can take a lot of time and effort to find the right match.
Our living kidney donor program can help you talk to someone in our program who has donated a kidney. Donors often find it helpful to talk to another donor about their experiences. If surgery is approved for both donor and recipient, and all kidney transplant compatibility criteria are met, the donor will undergo 2- to 3-hour surgery to remove 1 healthy kidney. Living donor programs allow a family member or a compatible unrelated donor (such as a spouse or friend) to donate a kidney.
Kidney exchanges allow incompatible donors to donate to strangers, in exchange for a compatible kidney that can help their own loved ones or family members. During this time, participants learn the facts about live kidney donation, how to start a conversation about live kidney donation, and how to identify and access their social networks. It is estimated that more than 30 million people in the U. S.
suffer from chronic kidney disease and nearly 50% of patients with severely reduced kidney function are not aware of it. But it's also possible for a living person to donate a kidney to me, and that can happen much faster. If you or your child needs a kidney transplant and find a willing living kidney donor, but medical tests show that person is not a match based on blood type or other factors associated with a high risk of organ rejection, they may still be able to receive a transplant.If you're healthy, donating a kidney won't increase your chances of getting sick or having major health problems. Many of my patients who need a kidney routinely tell me that asking for a donation is one of the hardest things they have ever done.Many patients feel more comfortable talking to family and friends first about donating a kidney.
If you are considering a kidney transplant from a living donor, the National Kidney Foundation can help you connect with someone who has been there.In addition, MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute offers recipients a free personalized website that allows them to share their story and why they need a kidney.Transplant Surgeon Dorry Segev Discusses Waiting List for Kidney Transplants, Living Kidney Donors, Surgery, Recovery, and Johns Comprehensive Transplant Center There is another option besides transplanting a kidney from a deceased donor and that is to receive a kidney from a living donor.In a paired donor exchange, also known as a kidney exchange, two kidney recipients essentially exchange donors willing to do so. What many of my patients who need a kidney don't realize is that someone they know could become a living kidney donor for them.
Leave Message