Without question, transplant will dramatically improve your quality of life. If you identify a living kidney donor — and early — you may avoid dialysis, or at least shorten the time your life is controlled by the lifealtering treatments. You may also continue, or more quickly return to, your normal life, healthy diet, career, travel and family time.
There are no long-term effects on a living kidney donor. In fact, the donor’s remaining kidney actually grows to compensate for the function of the one donated. The donor evaluation alone can help uncover any underlying health issues before they become bigger problems.
To qualify, your living donor needs to have healthy kidneys and be in good overall health. This increases your chance of a successful outcome. And, because surgery can be planned and scheduled, the donated kidney will be transferred to you quickly, with less chance of damage to the organ.
A living kidney donor is giving you more than the gift of life. He or she is removing the unknown, allowing you and your health care team to plan for surgery and eliminate the stress and anxiety associated with waiting for a match from a deceased donor.
By identifying your living kidney donor, you can free up the chance for someone else to receive a lifesaving transplant from a deceased donor. That means two lives are saved instead of one.