Learn more about kidney donation, including what to expect, information on the kidney donation process, answers to common questions about kidney donation, helpful tips and resources and more.
If you are considering becoming a living kidney donor, you may be wondering if donating a kidney shortens your life or whether donating a kidney affects life expectancy. In fact, multiple studies have shown that not only does donating a kidney not shorten your lifespan, living kidney donors actually tend to live longer than non-donors.
If you are an athlete, either recreationally or competitively, you may be wondering how donating a kidney will affect your fitness and athletic performance. Will you be able to exercise after kidney donation? Can kidney donor athletes still perform at peak levels? Here’s what you need to know about kidney donation and athletic performance. If …
If you have decided to donate a kidney to someone—a family member, friend, or even a specific stranger whose story you found inspiring—it can be devastating to learn that you are not a medical match and are therefore unable to donate your kidney directly to your intended recipient. The good news is, by donating through …
If you are a woman of childbearing age and you are considering becoming a living kidney donor, you may have questions or concerns about how kidney donation will affect your ability to get pregnant and have children in the future. These questions may include: While most women who become pregnant after donating a kidney have …
One question we sometimes hear from potential kidney donors is: “What if I donate a kidney now, then at some point in the future my remaining kidney fails and I need a transplant?” In fact, living kidney donors may be less likely to be diagnosed with kidney disease than the general public. All potential living …
If you are thinking about or planning to donate a kidney, you may be wondering how long it will take to recover from the kidney donor surgery. The recovery time after living kidney donation surgery will vary depending on several factors, including the type of surgery (laparoscopic vs traditional kidney removal) and the donor’s individual …
If you are donating a kidney, you will undergo kidney removal surgery (nephrectomy), which is a surgical procedure to remove a healthy kidney from a living donor for transplant into a person whose kidneys no longer function properly. The surgery usually takes about two to three hours, but can take anywhere from one to five …
If you are interested in becoming a living kidney donor, you will need to undergo several tests before you are approved for donation surgery. Some tests are to determine if you are healthy enough to become a donor, and some are to see whether your kidney is a good match for the person you want …
If you are interested in donating a kidney, there is a simple way to determine if you are eligible to become a donor. Visit the National Kidney Registry’s donor screen page and enter your name, phone number and email. You will receive an email with a link to a medical screening questionnaire to start the …