When the kidneys fail one treatment option is a kidney transplant from a living donor that has decided to give one of their kidneys to replace the function of your failing kidneys.

• Decreased waiting time for the transplant. Living donation can happen as little as three to six months compared to the long waiting times of several years for a deceased donor kidney on a waiting list. • Better planning for the surgery. Patient, donor, and providers can have adequate planning and workup before the actual surgery, so thing will go smoother and as planned. • The living transplanted kidney is expected to function and last 50% longer (15-20 years) than a deceased donor kidney (10-15 years).

The living donor does not have to be related to you or have the same blood type. Anyone can volunteer to donate. They will undergo a full workup to make sure they are suitable as a donor. There is kidney paired donation program that matches recipients and donors that don’t have the same blood type with others that do. You can find a donor in many ways. Please read our blog on how to find a living donor.

All medical expenses, including the workup and surgery, are covered by the recipient’s health insurance. Neither the donor nor their insurance are responsible for any costs. The National Living Donor Assistance Program may be able to provide funding to offset the costs associated with travel and lodging and loss of wages. More information is available here.

Living donors typically spend 2 to 3 days recovering in the hospital. Most can return to their normal level of activity within 4 to 6 weeks.

Here are some videos and resources available on living donation:

• CPMC Living Kidney Donor Site
• CPMC Kidney Donor Sign Up
• Donating a Kidney from a Peer Mentor
• Living Donation by Dr. Randall Sung
• California Living Donation
• Kidney Transplant Living Donation education Class
• Facts and Myths about Living Donation by Ellen Delruyelle, RN
• How to talk to friends and family about Living donation
• Donor Seeker Program
• Develop your Kidney Campaign
• William and Tracy Hall story
• UC Davis Kidney Transplant Video