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Living Donor Information
Common questions about the donation process and recovery.
How long does the donation process take?
The entire journey from initial screening to surgery typically takes several months.
Is there a cost to the donor?
If you’re considering becoming a living kidney donor, one of the most common questions is about cost—and the good news is that you are not responsible for the medical expenses related to donation.
All medical costs for the donor are covered by the recipient’s insurance (or Medicare). This includes:
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The initial evaluation and testing
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The surgery itself
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Hospital care and follow-up related to the donation
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This coverage applies even if you go through testing and are not ultimately able to donate.
It’s important to know that in the United States, it is illegal to buy or sell an organ. Living donation is a generous, voluntary act.
What are the recovery expectations?
Most donors return to normal activities within a few weeks.
What are the advantages of living donation?
The greatest advantage of living donation is that the kidney tends to have more immediate function, lasts longer than a kidney from a deceased donor and greatly decreases the amount of time the recipient needs to wait for transplant to occur, particularly in California.
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Other benefits include:
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The possibility of a normal, dialysis-free life, which allows steady employment, more time for enjoyment of family and even such pleasures as a vacation.
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The probability for the need of less medication, leading to fewer long-term side effects.
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The convenience of being able to arrange the best time for surgery for both the donor and recipient.
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The knowledge that it will not be necessary for the recipient to take a kidney from the limited pool of deceased donor kidneys, thereby leaving an opportunity for another person who has no hope of a living donor.
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The possibility of one or more recipients being transplanted in a chain of paired exchange transplants started by a non-directed donor.
How can I start the screening process?
Fill out the UCLA Kidney Transplant Questionnaire. (Link Below)
You'll need to know my full name and date of birth. Name: Susan North DOB: 11/26/1958
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