Are there downsides to donating a kidney?

Possible long-term risks to donating a kidney include hyper-tension (high blood pressure), hernia, organ impairment and the need for organ transplant, kidney failure, and death.

Do you shorten your life by donating a kidney?

Does living donation affect life expectancy? Living donation does not change life expectancy, and does not appear to increase the risk of kidney failure.

What is the survival rate for donating a kidney?

Donating a kidney does not affect a person’s life expectancy. On the contrary, studies show that people who donate a kidney outlive the average population. Twenty years after donating, 85 percent of kidney donors were still alive, while the expected survival rate was 66 percent.

How invasive is donating a kidney?

Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy is minimally invasive surgery that utilizes instruments such as a camera (videoscope) and tools (instruments) to remove the kidney on long, narrow rods that are placed into the abdomen through small incisions.

What do you need to know before donating a kidney?

You can donate a kidney to a family member or friend who needs one. You can also give it to someone you don’t know. Doctors call this a “nondirected” donation, in which case you might decide to meet the person you donate to, or choose to stay anonymous. Either way, doctors will give your kidney to the person who needs it most and is the best match.

What really happens after you donate a kidney?

After donation, you should be able to live a pretty normal life. You’ll have to take pain pills for a short time after surgery. Your remaining kidney will grow bigger to help make up for the one that’s gone.

What are the dangers of donating a kidney?

Other risks in kidney donation (also known as nephrectomy) include elevated protein in urine and hernia. In very rare cases, there could be organ failure and death.

What to expect after donating a kidney?

As a kidney donor, you can generally expect to stay in the hospital for two days after surgery. Most kidney donors resume normal activities after four to six weeks, depending on the physical demands of their daily living and work tasks. You may not be able to drive for up to two weeks.