Rhode Island Hospital
Living Donor Transplant Program
Donor Guide
Advantages of Living Donation
There are several advantages to living donation.
- Most donors report a sense of happiness and self worth knowing
that they have had a positive impact on their recipient's life.
- This option eliminates the need for potential recipients to
be placed on the cadaver transplant waiting list. The average
wait for a kidney from the cadaver waiting list is approximately
3½ to 4 years in New England.
- The success rates are higher for those receiving a kidney from
a live donor than those receiving a kidney from a cadaver donor.
The average long-term survival of kidneys from live donors is
12 to 20 years versus 7 to 8 years for those obtained from cadaver
donors.
- The operation can be scheduled at a time that is mutually agreed
upon.
- Because the donation and transplant surgery occur at the same
time, the time the kidney is out of the body without blood (ischemic
time) is considerably shortened, thereby minimizing injury. Kidneys
that are transplanted with minimal injury usually have early function
and require less aggressive immunosuppressive medication.
- After the surgical removal of a kidney (nephrectomy), donors
may go on to live normal lives. The donor's state of health should
not change after donating. The remaining kidney enlarges and is
able to perform about 80% of the work the two kidneys normally
do.
- Donor nephrectomy does not change the donor's life expectancy.
Because this is a well recognized fact, donors still qualify for
health and life insurance.
- The only restriction on activity for the donor is participation
in highly physical contact sports or events that may increase
the risk of trauma the remaining kidney. Donors can expect a recuperation
period of 4 to 8 weeks. After that time, people with one kidney
can return to work, eat an unrestricted diet and participate in
a normal exercise routine.
- After donating, there is no need for long-term medications.
Women of childbearing age can expect a normal pregnancy and delivery.
Possible risks 
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