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. You'll also have a scar from the donor's operation; the size and location of the scar will depend on the type of surgery being done.
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.
The risks of major surgery include bleeding and infection. But most kidney donors recover with little or no problems. Your transplant team will talk to you about any pre-existing conditions or other factors that may increase your risk of developing kidney disease, and will consider this carefully before making a decision about donating. We have passed the Living Donor Protection Act, which protects donors from being denied life, disability or long-term care insurance after donating.
If you donate a kidney, hospital staff should inform you about how live kidney donation relates to chronic or ongoing kidney disease and kidney failure. There have been some cases where living donors needed a kidney later on, not necessarily because of the donation itself. It's possible to get pregnant after donation, but it's generally not recommended for at least six months after donation surgery. If you donate to a transplant center associated with the National Kidney Registry and, for some reason, need a kidney after donation, priority will be given to a kidney from a living donor.
The long-term survival rate after kidney donation is approximately the same as that of generally healthy people who are not kidney donors. Medicare, Medicaid, or kidney beneficiary insurance will cover the medical costs of donating a kidney. In general, most people with only one normal kidney have few or no problems; however, you should always talk to your transplant team about the risks involved in donating. Living donation is a type of kidney transplant in which a living person donates one of their two healthy kidneys to a person living with kidney disease.
Living donation doesn't change life expectancy and doesn't seem to increase the risk of kidney failure. You'll also be examined to make sure you don't have any health problems that could worsen if you donate a kidney. 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. 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.Advances in surgery and care now allow people to donate a kidney to help family, friends, or even strangers who need a transplant.
You may also want to talk about donating live kidneys with people you trust, such as family and friends.Donating a kidney is an incredibly generous act that can save someone's life; however, it is important to understand all of the potential risks involved before making this decision. While there are many benefits to donating a kidney - such as helping someone in need - there are also potential downsides that should be considered before making this life-changing decision.
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