A World Leader in Kidney Transplants

The Transplant Center—Living Donor, Kidney

University of Minnesota Medical Center is a world leader in living donor transplantation. Together with University of Minnesota surgeons, we have performed more than 3,500 living donor transplants.

Living kidney donation means that an organ can be taken from one healthy person to replace a non-functioning kidney in another person. Afterwards, both the living organ donor and the recipient can have normal, active lives.

Advantages of Living Donation

Most of the time, someone who needs an kidney transplant has a much better chance of living a longer healthy life if he or she can find a living donor There are several reasons, among them:

• Living organ donation gives better results for the recipient,
• It eliminates the three to five year wait for a deceased-donor organ, and
• It allows for transplant surgery to be scheduled when both donor and recipient are in top physical and emotional health.

Who can Donate

In our experience at Fairview-University, we have had kidney donations from blood relatives, spouses, friends, co-workers, acquaintances and anonymous volunteers between ages 18 and 75.

Donors don’t need to be biologically related to the recipient to have an excellent result because medical advances have produced effective medications to prevent rejection.

• Donors
• living donor may or may not know the intended recipient. The transplant program at Fairview Univeristy accepts kidney donations from anonymous donors. We call these anonymous donors “nondirected donors,” and these kidney’s go to patients on the Fairview-University waiting list. We have strict procedures to protect the privacy of the donor and recipient when an anonymous donation is made.
• Exchange
• option, also available through Fairview-University, can be a living donor exchange. When a donor is not compatible to his or her intended recipient, he or she could donate to a different, matching recipient. In exchange, the recipient gets a living donor kidney from someone in the exact same situation. Both recipients get a living donor kidney--through exchanged donors. This kind of exchange should be discussed with a transplant coordinator.
• and Positive Cross-Match
• immunoglobulin (IVIG) lowers the Panel Reactive Antibody (PRA) measurement in recipients who are highly sensitized and have difficulty finding suitable organ matches. IVIG therapy opens the door for these patients to have previously positive cross-matched donors reconsidered for living donation. If you have been turned down as a donor because of a positive cross-match, you should ask a transplant coordinator about IVIG therapy.

Whose Decision is it to Donate?

The decision to donate an organ is serious and personal. Only you can make the decision after weighing the risks and benefits. Potential donors must voluntarily contact a transplant center and ask to speak with a donor coordinator about donation.

How is a Donor Evaluation Conducted?

A team of medical specialists is dedicated to expertly screen donors. Donors are given detailed information so they can take the time to carefully consider what is involved. The donation experience is completely confidential and separate from the recipient’s.

As a donor, you must be physically and psychologically healthy to assure you can safely donate. You must feel comfortable about your decision. If at any time you change your mind, the team will help you make a confidential withdrawal from the procedure.

What is surgery like for donating a kidney?

Most often at Fairview-University a kidney is removed using minimally invasive surgery, called laparoscopic surgery, which uses very small incisions and a telescopic viewing device. More recent advances in minimally invasive surgery include the DaVinci® robot as a surgical tool. The first in Minnesota to use DaVinci, University of Minnesota surgeons use the robot as an extension of the surgeon’s hands. This allows intricate work to be performed under high magnification. It contributes to the advantages of minimally invasive surgery: less pain, smaller scars and quicker recovery time.

Who pays for the donation?

There is no cost to you as the donor for required medical tests and surgery. The transplant program does not routinely cover transportation, lodging, lost wages or other non-medical expenses. Sometimes, donors may be financially eligible for a donor grant to help pay some of these expenses. It is against federal law for a donor to be paid for his or her donation.

How will this affect me for the rest of my life?

Physically, you should expect no long-term problems, though there are risks associated with any surgery and these are carefully reviewed with you. Psychologically, previous donors have told us that donating was one of the most meaningful experiences of their lives, and they were glad to have had the opportunity to help another.

How long is the recovery after surgery?

The hospital stay is two to four days, and recovery takes about four to six weeks. But, some may return to normal activities earlier.

If we can be of further help in answering your questions about living kidney donation, please call 612-625-5115 or 800-328-5465 for a confidential phone consultation.