How does living donation affect the donor?
In the long-term, it has little effect. In fact, it may be beneficial (see below).
People can live normal lives with only one kidney. In fact 1 in 1000 of the population are born with one kidney an have few problems.
As long as the donor is evaluated thoroughly and cleared for donation, he or she can lead a normal life after the surgery. When the kidney is removed, the single normal kidney will increase in size to compensate for the loss of the donated kidney.
Physical exercise is healthy and good for you. However, it’s important for someone with only one kidney to be careful and protect it from injury. Some doctors think it is best to avoid contact sports like football, boxing, hockey, soccer, martial arts, or wrestling.
Donor follow-up
If you are donor, you should have good long-term medical follow-up from the renal team that placed the kidney inside your loved one. A blood pressure check and a blood test for kidney function (blood creatinine, and eGFR) should be done once a year.
Does living donation affect life expectancy?
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.
Interestingly, there is some evidence that kidney donors live longer than expected. The reason is unclear. It may be a combination of the fact that only healthier people are accepted as donors; and that the donors look after themselves better when they know they have lost an organ.
Living donation and blood pressure
Some studies report that living donors may have a greater chance of developing high blood pressure. It is recommended that potential donors consult with their doctor about the risks of living donation, if they have high blood pressure.
What can I expect emotionally after donating a kidney?
After donation, living donors often report a wide range of mixed emotions, from joy and relief to anxiety to depression. The process of getting through the evaluation and surgery can be so time-consuming that donors do not always have time to process everything they are feeling. It is normal for these emotions to come to the forefront after the donation and transplant take place.
Living donors generally rate their experience as positive. Different studies indicate that between 80-95% of donors say that in retrospect, they would have still have made the decision to donate.
However, concerns about the recipient’s outcome (as well as the donor’s recovery) can contribute to feelings of anxiety, and may donors report a feeling of ‘let down’ afterwards. Feelings of depression among living donors are not uncommon, even when both donor and recipient are doing well.
What are the long-term risks of donation?
You will also have a scar from the donor operation. The size and location of the scar will depend on the type of operation you have.
Some donors have reported long-term problems with pain, nerve damage, hernia or intestinal obstruction. These risks seem to be rare, but there are currently no statistics on the frequency of these problems.
In addition, people with one kidney may be at a greater risk of:
- High blood pressure
- Proteinuria
- Reduced kidney function.
In the yearly assessment by the transplant team, these issues should be monitored. You should discuss these risks with your transplant team in the work-up stage before the transplant, if you are concerned.
Last Reviewed on 16 September 2023