Live Donor Kidney Transplants
Other living donor pages available:
Incompatible Kidney Transplantation - about our special program
The Journey - including pre-operative, surgery, and recovery information
The Workup - information on the testing to become a living donor
The Follow Up Program - information on medical attention given to donors after the surgery
Donor Album - personal stories about others who have donated a kidney
Overview
Although it is still not feasible for all patients awaiting transplantation, living kidney transplants are an excellent option for some patients. Today, you do not need to be related to the recipient. And, thanks to Hopkins' Incompatible Kidney program, most donors do not need to have compatible blood or tissue types.
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The laparoscopic nephrectomy, a minimally invasive surgery, now makes it easier for living donors. Unlike the older method that removed the kidney through a large incision, the laparoscopic nephrectomy uses only four small incisions. The results are amazing.
The survival rate of a patient who becomes critically ill and subsequently receives a kidney transplant is around 65 percent. But a living donor transplant recipient’s survival rate climbs to 90 percent. In addition, the chance of postoperative complications is reduced, as well as hospital stays and medical care costs.
To learn about the live donor journey, please click here.
If you are interested in being a living donor, please contact the kidney donor team at 410-614-6604.
