Transplants can greatly improve a recipient’s health and quality of life, allowing them to return to normal activities. They can spend more time with family and friends, be more physically active, and pursue their interests more fully
A kidney transplant dramatically increases the life span of a patient by about 10 to 12 years and improves their quality of life. The longest surviving renal transplant recipients are well 40 years after receiving a living related kidney and 34 years after receiving a cadaveric renal transplant. Dialysis, while clearly a life-saving treatment, it is a less-than-perfect replacement for an actual human kidney. In addition, people who undergo a transplant will no longer require weekly dialysis treatments or have the side effects of dialysis such as nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, muscle cramping, and itchy skin
Due to the lack of organs available for transplant, patients on the national transplant list often face long wait times (sometimes several years) before they are able to receive a transplant from a deceased donor. Patients who find a suitable living donor do not have to wait on the list
Transplant candidates generally have better results when they receive organs from living donors as compared to organs from deceased donors. Often, transplanted organs from living donors have greater longevity than those from deceased donors. Genetic matches between living donors and candidates may lessen the risk of rejection
A kidney or liver from a living donor usually functions immediately in the recipient. In uncommon cases, some kidneys from deceased donors do not work immediately, and as a result, the patient may require dialysis until the kidney starts to function
The gift of an organ can save the life of a transplant candidate. The experience of providing this special gift to a person in need can serve be a positive aspect of donation
Donating an organ can increase the time you have to spend with your loved one as well as the quality of that time
Surgery can be scheduled at a time that is convenient for both the donor and recipient.
A living donor removes a candidate from the national transplant waiting list, which is currently above 114,000 people. This allows the people on the waiting list who cannot find a living donor a better chance of receiving the gift of life from a deceased donor
The impact of a transplant is so striking that recipients often look noticeably healthier as soon as they emerge from surgery
Living donation does not change life expectancy, and after recovery from the surgery, most donors go on to live happy, healthy, and active lives.
For kidney donors, the usual recovery time after the surgery is short, and donors can generally resume their normal home and working lives within two to six weeks.
For living kidney donors, the remaining kidney will enlarge slightly to do the work that two healthy kidneys share.
Living-donor kidney transplant is the most widely studied type of living-organ donation with more than 50 years of follow-up information. Overall, studies show the life expectancy for those who have donated a kidney is the same as for similarly matched people who haven't.
After living-organ donation, you should be able to go back to your normal diet soon after the surgery. Unless you have other health issues, you won't likely have any specific dietary restrictions related to your procedure.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise is just as important for living-organ donors as it is for everyone else. You can usually return to your normal physical activity levels within a few weeks or months after living-donor surgery.