Get Nz Kidney Health - Thinking About Being A Kidney Donor

Potential donors must be in good health and be free of kidney disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and a host of other issues. You have to be strong enough to make it through surgery and anesthesia.

Some possible long-term risks of donating a kidney may include high blood pressure (hypertension); large amount of protein in the urine; hernia; organ impairment or failure that leads to the need for dialysis or transplantation.

To donate a kidney, you must be in good physical and mental health . ... You must also have normal kidney function . 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 .

Giving a kidney to someone who needs a transplant is a very generous thing to do. ... Doctors reported that living kidney donors can expect to live full, healthy lives. Donors had very few long-term health problems, in most cases. The study looked at almost 4,000 people who donate one of their two kidneys since 1963.

Kidneys from living donors last longer. There is a lower chance the recipient's immune system will attack the new kidney (this is called rejection). The recipient will need fewer and lower doses of anti-rejection medication.

However, most studies suggest that you can live a normal, healthy life with one kidney. In fact, when one kidney is removed, the single normal kidney will increase in capacity to compensate.

In good physical and mental health. At least 18 years old. Be willing to donate: No one should feel that they MUST donate. Be well informed: A good donor candidate has a solid grasp of the risks, benefits, and potential outcomes, both good and bad, for both the donor and recipient.

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. The overall health of the potential donor is also of critical importance.

Living donation does not change life expectancy, and does not appear to increase the risk of kidney failure. In general, most people with a single normal kidney have few or no problems; however, you should always talk to your transplant team about the risks involved in donation.