What disqualifies a kidney donor?

These include having uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, HIV, hepatitis, or acute infections . Having a serious mental health condition that requires treatment may also prevent you from being a donor .


What rules you out from donating a kidney?

You must be at least 18 years old at all transplant centers. Some centers require a donor to be 21 or a little older. There are some medical conditions that could prevent you from being a living donor. These include having uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, HIV, hepatitis, or acute infections.

Why you should not donate a kidney?

Long-Term/Medical Risks

Other complications that may occur in the long-term following surgery to donate a kidney include: Developing a disease that could affect the function of the remaining kidney such as: Diabetes. High blood pressure.


Who is not a good candidate for a kidney transplant?

You may not be eligible to receive a kidney transplant due to: The presence of some other life-threatening disease or condition that would not improve with transplantation. This could include certain cancers, infections that cannot be treated or cured, or severe, uncorrectable heart disease.

Why would you be denied a kidney transplant?

Many factors contribute to whether or not a specific organ will be offered to you, including, but not limited to: blood type, how long you have had kidney failure, medical urgency (how sick you are), where you live (an organ must be safely transported the distance to the transplant hospital), and in some instances your ...


Kidney donation and transplant requirements



How much do you have to weigh to donate a kidney?

There are no set requirements for weight that you must meet to qualify for kidney transplant.

What state has the longest wait time for a kidney transplant?

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - A new study from Health Testing Centers found that Alabama is the state with the longest wait time for organ transplants in the nation.

What is the biggest problem with kidney transplants?

Some infections come from the donor kidney

The risk of rejection is highest in the first 3-6 months after a transplant. After this time, your body's immune system is less likely to recognise the kidney as coming from another person. Even if you take your anti-rejection medications, rejection can still occur.


Can a female donate a kidney to a male?

Conclusions. Our results suggested gender matching for kidney transplant. Only in some exceptional conditions, male donor to female recipient kidney transplant may be successful and female donors to male recipients are not suggested, especially in aged patients with the history of dialysis.

Are family members good match for kidney transplant?

Siblings have a 25% chance of being an "exact match" for a living donor and a 50% chance of being a "half-match." Donor compatibility is established through blood tests that look for matching blood types and antigens.

How long does a kidney donor take to recover?

Most donors who work in an office setting return to work within 2 to 3 weeks of their surgery. Donors with more physically demanding professions generally need 4 to 6 weeks of recovery before returning to that type of work.


Will I gain weight after donating a kidney?

Overall, among all donors, weight increased significantly following kidney donation from 79.5 ± 2.5 kg to 81.8 ± 2.7 kg at last follow-up (mean difference 2.3 ± 0.9 kg, P < . 0001) (Table 2). Table 1. Participant Characteristics at Time of Kidney Donation.

How easy is it to find a kidney match?

Except in cases of identical twins and some siblings, it is rare to get a six-antigen match between two people, especially if they are unrelated. Kidneys are very successfully transplanted between two people with no matching antigens. A person can make antibodies against another person's HLA antigens.

How painful is kidney donation surgery?

How much will it hurt? Everyone is different, but you could be in a lot of pain after the surgery. But it will get easier each day, and there are different types of pain relievers to make you feel better. Shortly after surgery, as your anesthesia wears off, you'll get pain medication through an IV into a vein.


Can you drink alcohol if you donate a kidney?

Can kidney donors drink alcohol? Yes, kidney donors can eventually drink 1-2 alcoholic drinks but should abstain in the weeks following the transplant. Women and those over 65 should stick to 1 alcoholic beverage per day at most, while men should have no more than 2 drinks in a day.

What are the long term effects of donating a kidney?

Some donors have reported long-term problems with pain, nerve damage, hernia or intestinal obstruction. These risks seem to be rare, but there are currently no national statistics on the frequency of these problems. In addition, people with one kidney may be at a greater risk of: high blood pressure.

Do you need the same blood type to donate a kidney?

Kidney donors must have a compatible blood type with the recipient. The Rh factor (+ or -) of blood does not matter in a transplant. The following blood types are compatible: Donors with blood type A… can donate to recipients with blood types A and AB.


Is donating a kidney major surgery?

Surgeons almost always perform minimally invasive surgery to remove a living donor's kidney (laparoscopic nephrectomy) for a kidney transplant. Laparoscopic nephrectomy is associated with less scarring, less pain and a shorter recovery time than is open surgery to remove a kidney (open nephrectomy).

Can a wife donate a kidney to her husband?

In conclusion, cadaver organs given the shortage of kidney transplantation between spouses may be a good alternative and can be performed successfully, providing a "gift of life" for both the patient and the family.

What are two disadvantages of kidney transplants?

Main complications of a kidney transplant:
  • It is a major operation and comes with surgical risks, like bleeding.
  • Infections are common after a kidney transplant.
  • You will need to take strong medicines to lower your immune system.
  • You may need further surgery to fix any problems.


How long does a kidney transplant operation last?

When the kidney is properly in place, the incision in your abdomen will be closed with surgical staples, stitches or surgical glue. Although the procedure may sound relatively straightforward, it's very demanding and complex surgery that usually takes around 3 hours to complete.

What is the percentage of surviving a kidney transplant?

The 5-year survival rate for transplanted kidneys is slightly lower than the 5-year survival rate for people who have received a kidney. A total of 81.6% of transplanted kidneys in people over 65, and 90.9% in people ages 35 to 49, survive for at least 5 years.

What organ has the longest waiting list?

Waiting lists

patients. As of 2022, the organ with the most patients waiting for transplants in the U.S. was kidneys, followed by livers.