Living Donor Program
Thank you for your interest in kidney donation. The generous act of donating a kidney can be an incredible and rewarding experience for everyone involved. Kidney transplantation can improve the length and quality of the recipient's life and strengthen the feeling of closeness between the recipient and the donor. Donation is an important decision, which involves potential benefits and risks. We hope that this site will provide information to help you make the best decision about what is right for you. The Emory Transplant Team is dedicated to providing excellent comprehensive care for all patients involved in the transplant process.
The Emory Transplant Team encourages living donor transplants for the following reasons:
- A kidney for transplantation may come from either a living person such as a friend, spouse or family member or from a deceased donor, which is someone who has recently died. While most kidneys from deceased donors function well, a kidney from a living donor, either a blood relative or an unrelated person, provides the greatest chance for long-term success.
- Early transplantation improves the survival of the transplanted kidney. Because patients who receive a kidney from a living donor do not need to wait on the list for a kidney from a deceased organ donor, they can undergo transplantation earlier.
- The likelihood of immediate function of the kidney after a living donor transplant is excellent
Who can donate?
- Family members, spouses or friends.
- Minimum age for a living donor is 18 years old.
- Medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity or a previous history of cancer may affect a person's ability to donate.
The Emory transplant team will evaluate each potential donor very carefully. The following information is provided to help you understand Emory's living donor process. This process is divided into four phases. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your Emory transplant coordinator at (404)727-3250 or toll free 1-866-727-3250. Additional information regarding transplantation can be found at www.UNOS.ORG
