Donating a kidney begins with a confidential screening and medical history review, followed by a thorough medical workup to ensure you’re fit to donate. Once cleared, you'll undergo a pre-op procedure before the surgery, which is typically straightforward. After surgery, you’ll spend a few days in the hospital and then continue your recovery at home. Most people can return to normal activities within a few weeks, although those with physically demanding jobs or athletes might need a longer recovery period. You can donate to someone you know or a stranger, and programs like NKR’s Voucher Program help ensure the best match for your intended recipient. Click Here to Learn More

Kidney removal surgery for donors can be done through either laparoscopic surgery or traditional open surgery. Laparoscopy, the preferred method, involves using a small camera inserted through tiny incisions in the abdomen to remove the kidney, resulting in a shorter recovery time, smaller incisions, and fewer complications. However, not all donors are eligible for this method due to previous surgeries or anatomical differences. Open surgery, a more invasive option, requires a larger incision and sometimes the removal of a rib. Both procedures are performed under general anesthesia, and the choice of surgery depends on your health and the hospital's capabilities. Recovery time varies, but most donors can return to normal activities within a few weeks, with full recovery depending on the type of surgery and individual circumstances. Your transplant team will guide you in choosing the best option. Click Here to Learn More

There will be abdominal tenderness and many donors experience shoulder pain and some cramping as a result of anesthesia. Recovery time and the level of pain depends on the individual donor. Walking after surgery helps speed the recovery process. As with any surgery, there is a recovery period advised by the transplant center medical team. In general, donors are asked to refrain from heavy lifting for 6-8 weeks. Most donors return to their regular, pre-donation exercise routines post-donation. approximately 6 – 8 weeks Donors with desk jobs that don’t require heavy lifting can typically return to work within 2-4 weeks of surgery. Donors with a laptop working from home may feel ready to resume work within a week of surgery. Donors with more active jobs may need 6-8 weeks to fully recover. The transplant center will discuss option for lost wages accrued while taking time off work (NKDO) Click Here to Learn More

The recipient’s insurance pays for the donor’s testing, evaluation, and surgery. However, donors are required to also have medical insurance. There are donor protections including reimbursement for lost wages, travel expenses, dependent care and more through National Kidney Registry (NKR) (Donor Shield) and through the Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation (APKD). You can learn more about both of these services here: - Donor Shield: https://www.donor-shield.org/kidney-donors/ - Donor Protect: https://paireddonation.org/donorprotect/

For those going through the donation process: Donor Connect - The Donor Connect is a peer-to-peer mentor program for people going through the evaluation process to become a living kidney donor. This program helps educate potential living kidney donors. All Donor Connect mentors are living kidney donors and abide by Best Practices approved by the National Kidney Registry. This team explains the testing, donation, and recovery process and shares the protections available based on the donor’s transplant center. The mentors maintain contact with the candidates throughout the evaluation process and are available to answer non-medical questions. Click Here to Learn More NKF Peers program: NKF PEERS is a program where kidney patients, living donors, or care partners can connect over the phone with a trained mentor. Mentors are people who have been there themselves and can help others by sharing their experiences. Click Here to Learn More For those who have donated: Kidney Donor Athletes: Kidney Donor Athletes promotes the gift of life through living kidney donation among active individuals and athletes by building a community that inspires, supports, and educates people about the experience of kidney donation. Click Here to Learn More One Kidney Clubs: One Kidney Clubs were started as a way to bring donors together and build the living donor community. It’s a way to connect to people that you have something very unique in common with. The community can be built in person and virtually and we encourage our groups to stay connected both ways when possible. Many of our clubs participate in a range of events from 5ks to raise awareness to get togethers for happy hour! Click Here to Learn More

To donate a kidney, a donor candidate must be in good physical and mental health. Individual transplant centers set age limit guidelines. Candidates must also have normal kidney function. There are some medical conditions that could prevent someone from being a living donor. These include, but are not limited to, uncontrolled high blood pressure, cancer, acute infections, or a high BMI. (NKDO)

The family voucher is utilized when a donor does not know someone in immediate need of a kidney transplant and wants to help others in need by starting a chain and donating their kidney to a stranger. The Family Voucher Program allows for up to five family members of the donor to receive vouchers that can be activated if one of the family members ever needs a kidney transplant. Once the first voucher is redeemed, all other vouchers related to that donor become void and cannot be redeemed.(NKR) Click Here to Learn More

NKR offers a program called “Kidney Paired Donation”. When a person (Recipient A) is in need of a kidney and has a willing donor (Donor A), but Donor A is either a poor match to Recipient A or not a match at all, the NKR can find a recipient who is in need of a kidney (Recipient B) and has a donor (Donor B) who is willing to donate, but is either a poor match or not a match at all to Recipient B, but is a match to Recipient A and, have them swap. Click Here to Learn More

Donating a kidney to a stranger can help someone live a longer, healthier life. Over 100,000 people are in need of a kidney transplant. Roughly 6,000 people donate their kidney every year. Less than 5% of those 6,000 living kidney donors donate to someone that they do not know; this type of donor is known as a Non-Directed donor and there are multiple paths for non-directors to go down if they wish to donate including the use of a family voucher or starting a kidney chain. Click Here to Learn More

As with any surgery, there is a recovery period advised by the transplant center medical team. In general, donors are asked to refrain from heavy lifting for 6-8 weeks. Most donors return to their regular, pre-donation exercise routines post-donation. approximately 6 – 8 weeks. For competitive athletes, many share that it took 6-12 months to get back to their pre-donation.