About Living Donation

When people think about organ donation, they often imagine it occurring after death. However, many people don’t realize that organ donation can happen while a person is still alive. This is called living donation.

What is Living Donation?

A living donor is a person who chooses to donate an organ or a portion of an organ to someone in need of a transplant while they are still alive. The most common organ donated by a living person is a kidney, but you can also donate a portion of your liver. In the United States, approximately 30% of organ donations are from living donors and 70% are from deceased donors.

Why Do We Need Living Donors?

There is a significant gap between the number of people waiting for an organ transplant and the number of available organs. Thousands of people are added to the transplant waiting list every year, and many of them might not survive the wait for a deceased donor. Living donors give patients a better chance of receiving a lifesaving organ sooner.

Who Can Be a Living Donor?

Generally, living donors are healthy individuals, often family members or close friends of the recipient, but sometimes donors and recipients aren’t related at all. In fact, there are many altruistic donors—people who donate simply out of a desire to help someone in need, even if they’ve never met.

What Are the Benefits of Living Donation?

Recent reports show that up to 33% of deceased donor kidneys end up being discarded. The National Kidney Registry (NKR) has systems in place to ensure that all living donor organs are used.

For the recipient, organs from living donors typically function better and last longer than those from deceased donors. The surgeries can also be scheduled at a time that is convenient for both the donor and the recipient, rather than on short notice when an organ becomes available. This can reduce the amount of time the recipient spends on dialysis or waiting in uncertainty.

How to Be a Living Donor

If you are interested in being a living donor, the process is fairly easy and straightforward. When you register with the NKR, you’ll provide your name and contact information, then complete a thorough medical history. If you are initially approved, you will undergo a detailed evaluation process, including medical tests to ensure you are healthy enough to donate. Throughout the process, you can change your mind at any time.

After donating, most people can return to their normal activities within a few weeks, though recovery times vary. Living donors can go on to live healthy, active lives, and for many, the experience of helping someone else lead a healthier life makes it all worthwhile.