A separate donor pathway
Living Donation
Living donation is a personal decision. Potential donors deserve independent, pressure-free information about evaluation, surgery, recovery, risks, finances, follow-up, and the freedom to change their mind.
What potential donors may want to understand
Thinking about donatingStart with your own questions.
Contact a transplant program’s living-donor team for individualized information. Donation should be voluntary. A potential donor may stop the evaluation process; the donor team can explain how privacy and decision-making are handled.
Donor evaluationYour health and safety are evaluated separately.
Living-donor evaluation generally includes medical testing and psychosocial review. Programs also discuss surgical risks, expected recovery, long-term follow-up, pregnancy considerations when relevant, and practical issues such as work and caregiving.
Independent donor supportThe donor is not simply part of the recipient’s treatment.
Living-donor programs provide donor-focused advocacy and education so the potential donor has a team responsible for the donor’s interests, questions, consent, and ability to make a pressure-free decision.
Paired donationIncompatibility may not end the option.
If an intended donor and recipient are not compatible, kidney paired donation may allow matched donor-recipient exchanges through participating programs.
Financial and practical planningAsk about non-medical costs early.
NLDAC may help eligible donors with certain travel, lost-wage, and dependent-care costs. Eligibility rules can change, so use the current official program information and work through the transplant center.
Recovery and follow-upPlan beyond the hospital stay.
Ask the donor team about expected hospital stay, pain control, lifting and activity limits, driving, return to work, follow-up, and who to call after discharge. Recovery varies by person and surgical approach.
Questions you may want to bring to your team
- What are the short- and long-term risks for me, based on my health?
- Who is my donor advocate or independent contact if I feel uncertain or pressured?
- What costs could I have, and which assistance programs should we explore before evaluation or surgery?
- What follow-up is required after donation, and who receives those results?