The Pros and Cons of Donating a Kidney

Donating a kidney is an incredibly generous act that can save someone's life but it is important for potential donors to understand both the short-term & long-term risks associated with this procedure before making their decision.

The Pros and Cons of Donating a Kidney

Kidney donation is a low-risk procedure, but that doesn't mean it's without any risks. While complications occur less than 5 percent of the time, as with any surgical procedure, there is a small chance of infection, complications from anesthesia, bleeding, blood clots, hernias, or postoperative pneumonia. Donating can be selfless and rewarding, and studies have shown that living donors live as long as people who never donated. Surgery to donate a kidney has the same risks and side effects that are common in any major surgery.

Side effects may include nausea, vomiting, and constipation. Many people feel some numbness around the incision. Most complications don't happen very often and most can be treated.

Kidney donation

involves major surgery and there are risks, such as bleeding and infection.

However, the vast majority of kidney donors recover with minimal complications. After your kidney is removed (nephrectomy), you'll usually only spend the night in the hospital and complete your recovery at home. Over time, the remaining kidney will enlarge as it absorbs additional blood flow and wastes are filtered out. It's rare to have long-term physical problems due to a kidney donation.However, people with only one kidney may be more likely to have high blood pressure, which doctors can treat with medications.

Each donor's motivations can vary greatly, and each donor has a unique experience as they go through the process of donating their kidney, from the initial decision to be evaluated as a potential donor to years after the donation occurs. You may also want to talk about donating live kidneys with people you trust, such as family and friends. Many donors say they feel better about themselves after donating, and most say that if they could do it again, they would still choose to donate their kidney.The study suggests that the increase in risk is not enormous (an increase of about 6%) and, in fact, most women who have donated a kidney can safely carry a pregnancy to term. However, the medical problems that made these kidney donors listed for transplantation may or may not be related to donation.

Some possible long-term risks of donating a kidney may include high blood pressure (hypertension), the high amount of protein in the urine, hernia, organ alteration or insufficiency that leads to the need for dialysis or a transplant. In addition, you will be carefully examined to make sure you don't have any health problems that could worsen with a kidney donation.In general, kidney donation has minimal long-term risks, especially when compared to health risks for the general population. Studies have shown that donating a kidney or part of the liver does not affect a woman's ability to have children. Advances in surgery and care now allow people to donate a kidney to help family, friends, or even strangers who need a transplant.

Reese said that living kidney donors can do much to minimize their short- and long-term health risks after donation.Since the mid-to late 1990s, advances in surgical techniques have drastically improved the cosmetic outcome following live kidney donation. If the donor evaluation team decides that you are healthy and that you are a good choice for the person receiving the kidney, you may be approved to donate the kidney.Donating a kidney is an incredibly generous act that can save someone's life. However, it is important for potential donors to understand both the short-term and long-term risks associated with this procedure before making their decision. While there are some potential risks associated with donating a kidney, these risks are generally low when compared to other major surgeries.

Morris Bievenue
Morris Bievenue

Total internet geek. Hipster-friendly creator. Alcohol trailblazer. Certified food scholar. Alcohol expert. Extreme introvert.

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