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Who can be a kidney donor? |
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Any individual: |
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age 18 to 70 years
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Including parents, children, siblings, other relatives, and friends. |
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With normal kidney function and anatomy, as determined in the evaluation process
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With a genuine interest in donating and a compatible blood type with the recipient. |
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What are the requirements to become a living donor? |
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Donors should be in good general health.
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Basically, you should not have any major medical or psychiatric illness.
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You must not be pregnant; you should not be overweight, although you may still be a potential donor if you lose weight.
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If you smoke, you must quit for six weeks prior to surgery
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You also must understand the risks of this surgery and comply with instructions for follow-up medical care. |
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Must the donor be related to the recipient? |
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No, it is necessary for the donor to be related to the recipient. |
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What risks are associated with kidney donation? |
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Although some risks are associated with any major operation, donating one kidney does not pose a major risk to a healthy donor. |
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Studies show that the remaining kidney will continue function normally and will compensate for the loss of the other kidney.
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Kidney donation should not restrict or interfere with your lifestyle after full recovery from the surgery.
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There is no routine need for any special diet or medication after donation. |
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Are there any long-term risks? |
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There is a small possibility of a slight rise in blood pressure and excess protein in your urine. However studies have shown that there is no long-term effect on the health of the donor or your remaining kidney. |
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Am I at greater risk of developing kidney failure? |
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You are at no greater risk of developing kidney failure after donating than anyone in the general population. |
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Will donating a kidney shorten my lifespan? |
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Studies have shown that donors live longer than the average population. This is because donors are selected on the basis of good health and are thoroughly screened prior to donation. |
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Will I have to change my lifestyle after donating? |
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No. You should lead a normal healthy life as before. |
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Will donating my kidney affect a future pregnancy or fathering a child? |
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The small amount of data available shows that, having donated one kidney, there is no evidence to suggest an increased risk of complications during pregnancy. A man’s fertility will not be affected. |
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Will the transplant be successful? |
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There is no guarantee that any kidney transplant will work. However, living kidney transplantation is overwhelmingly successful with 90-95% of live donated kidneys working well at one year. |
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What is the first step to becoming a living donor? |
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Discuss the donation process with the transplant team; they will answer any questions so that you can make an informed decision about proceeding with donation. |
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Will I be paid for donating my kidney? |
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The act of giving a kidney is altruistic and unconditional. There is no payment for doing this. |
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What are the first steps of the donor evaluation? |
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Know your blood type. You must be either the same blood type as the recipient or blood type "O." |
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Your Rh factor — positive (+) or negative (-) — does not affect your ability to donate. |
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Do some donors have trouble making the decision to donate? |
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The decision to donate can vary from person to person. Some people make the decision instantly with few worries or concerns. |
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Other people go through some soul-searching and will talk with close friends or family before deciding whether or not to donate.
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It is normal for some people to be afraid of donating a kidney as well as to experience guilt about not wanting to be a donor.
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Individuals should not, under any circumstances, feel pressured to donate.
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The only “right” decision is the one that makes the donor feel comfortable. |
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Potential donors are encouraged to speak with the transplant team if they have any questions or concerns about their decision. |
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What does the donor evaluation involve? |
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The purpose of the evaluation is to make sure your kidneys are normal and that you don't have any medical or psychiatric illness that would make this procedure risky or difficult.
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It makes sure you don't have any medical conditions that could be transmitted to the recipient and to confirm that you're donating voluntarily, without pressure.
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Once all results from the entire evaluation process are available, they will be reviewed by a multidisciplinary committee who decides whether you are able to safely proceed with the donation. |
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When will I be told if I can be a donor? |
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Generally, you should know within two weeks of completing the evaluation. The decision to donate your kidney is not one to make lightly. Consider it carefully and discuss it with your family and significant others. |
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If I am approved to be a donor, when will the transplant take place? |
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This decision is made jointly by the transplant team, you and the recipient. |
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The transplant team — particularly the doctors involved in the recipient's care — will determine the best time for the transplant, based on the recipient's medical condition. |
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Unfortunately, a number of factors could affect the plans. For example, the recipient's condition might deteriorate so that he or she is too sick for a transplant. Or, the recipient or donor might develop an infection or other condition that must be treated before a transplant. |
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How should I prepare for the surgery? |
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The medical evaluation of potential living donors is extremely thorough. Once your evaluation is complete and the transplant team decides to proceed, there is not much additional testing to be done. |
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What happens on the day of surgery? |
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You will be admitted to the hospital the morning of the surgery.
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Once on the ward, the staff starts an intravenous (IV) line where fluids are administered.
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Shortly after arriving in the operating room, the anesthesiologist will give you sedation medicine through the IV.
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Once you are fast asleep, a breathing tube for general anesthesia is placed which connects to a breathing machine. This routine process assists patients with breathing during surgery. |
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A urinary catheter is inserted into the bladder and then the surgery begins. |
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How is my kidney removed?
The kidney is removed one of two ways |
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An open incision on the side of the abdomen or
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Several small incisions with the aid of a scope and camera, called a laparoscope. |
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Will I require a blood transfusion? |
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Blood transfusion during this surgery is uncommon. As a precaution, we ask you to "donate" one or two units of your own blood before the surgery, we use your own blood so you're not exposed to possible risks of a transfusion from someone else. |
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How long will I be in the hospital? |
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The average hospital stay for donors is five to seven days after surgery. |
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Will I have a scar? |
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In most cases, the incision heals quickly, leaving a scar that fades over time but will always be visible. |
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Will I have pain after the surgery? |
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Unfortunately, you may have significant pain after this surgery. Pain medication will be given but you will still be very uncomfortable for at least the first week. You will begin to have less pain as each day goes by, but most donors say they have significant discomfort for one to two weeks after surgery. |
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Will I have a normal life after surgery? |
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We expect most patients to return to a normal life within two to three months after surgery, provided there are no serious complications. |
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How long will it take to recover? |
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Recovery time will depend in part on whether your kidney is removed by an open incision, which involves a larger incision and longer recovery time of about eight weeks, or by laparoscope, which involves several small incisions and a shorter recovery of about four weeks. |
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What should I expect during recovery at home? |
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When you return home, your activities will be limited. However, donors are encouraged to be active in between their periods of rest. Walking is considered excellent exercise during this time. You may also have some swelling around the incision area and should plan to wear loose, comfortable clothes. |
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What are the health risks associated with being a donor? |
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The risks of donation are similar to those involved with any major surgery, such as bleeding and infection.
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Death resulting from kidney donation is extremely rare. |
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Current research indicates that kidney donation does not change life expectancy or increase a person’s risks of developing kidney disease or other health problems. |
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Will giving a kidney affect my lifestyle? |
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A person can lead an active, normal life with only one kidney. |
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Studies have shown that one kidney is sufficient to keep the body healthy. |
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After recovering from surgery, a donor can work, drive, exercise and participate in sports, though contact sports are not recommended.
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A donor can continue in all types of occupations, including military duty.
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Also, being a donor does not impact a person’s ability to have a child. |
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What kind of follow-up is needed? |
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You will have a post-operative appointment with your surgeon 1-2 weeks after the surgery.
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After donation, it is recommended that routine annual check-ups are completed with either your primary care physician or the transplant center. |
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What emotions do donors feel after the surgery? |
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Most living donors say they feel great satisfaction with the donation experience because they have helped to improve another person’s quality of life. |
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Even in rare instances where the transplant is not successful, many donors say they feel positive about their decision because they did their very best to help a relative or friend.
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However, there is a small chance for donors to experience some negative or mixed feelings after the donation. These feelings have been more likely to occur in cases where the outcome of the surgery did not meet the expectations of the donor and/or recipient as well as in cases where the donor was unsure of his or her decision. |
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When can I resume normal activities? |
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The goal is to be back to normal health within two to three months. |
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Walking is very important to your recovery. Each day, you should push yourself a little bit more. By walking as soon after your surgery as possible, you will help prevent such complications as blood clots, pneumonia and muscle wasting.
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If you are feeling well and not having complications, you may begin to return to your normal exercise activities. Begin slowly and build up your strength and stamina. You will need to avoid any heavy lifting for the first four weeks until your abdomen has completely healed. |
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You should refrain from sexual intercourse for a couple of weeks until you have less discomfort and feel stronger. This decision is based on how you feel. |
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We advise you to wait for a minimum of three months after surgery to resume taking birth control pills and at least 2 years after surgery before becoming pregnant. It is not yet known if this operation will affect a woman's fertility. |
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Who pays for the medical costs of the donor? |
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In Nigeria, this is usually borne by the family members of the recipient and usually includes testing required for the living donor evaluation as well as the hospitalization costs and physician services provided during the donation process. |
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Is Kidney transplant covered by the NHIS? |
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For now, the NHIS does not cover transplant costs. |
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