Kidney Donations: Should I or Shouldn’t I?
Each year, more than 70,000 individuals await the receipt of a new kidney. For these individuals, the donation of a kidney will mean an opportunity for not only prolonging life but also improving the quality of life to a level not seen in many years. Unfortunately, many Americans are misinformed and assume kidneys may only be donated from family members or at the time of death. Quite the contrary. In fact, kidney donation can be done by anyone living and does not have to be someone with an emotional or familial connection to the recipient.
To each of us we are born with two kidneys. In maintaining a normal and healthy life, only one kidney is needed. For individuals with kidney failure, the acquisition of one healthy kidney can prove life changing results and prolong the life span. For donors, the key to kidney donation is ensuring the tissue and blood type is compatible with the recipient so as to ensure the least possible opportunity for kidney donation rejection. For this reason, most individuals receive kidneys from family members. However, support as a live kidney donor can be offered by anyone, living or deceased. The first step to addressing kidney donation involves participating in a support group of other kidney donors so as to ensure all questions and concerns are addressed. The next step involves testing to determine compatibility and assess the health status as a kidney donor. Following the testing, the doctor will recommend a variety of exercises and dietary modifications which should be followed to further enhance and improve the health of the donor kidney.
Once cleared by the physician, the recipient will be identified. Surgery is often a day full of anxiety, anticipation, hope and some patients report an onset of depression both before and following the surgery. These feelings are quite common and the donor is encouraged to seek the support of family and friends from the beginning of the kidney donation process. Surgery may also result in many days of fatigue which is often alleviated with time and as recovery takes place. Hospital stays can be as long as six days.
In the months and years following kidney donation, the donor’s remaining one kidney will begin to grow in size so as to compensate for the missing kidney. Pain localized to the area is common due to the level of nerve damage in addition to an unsightly scar attributed to surgery. However, beyond these symptoms, the long term affects of kidney donation are negligible. Donation does not affect life span or the likelihood of developing renal disease or other kidney related disorders. However, all donors are recommended to obtain regular urinalysis and blood pressure checks to ensure proper bodily function during the remainder of their life.
As with any living organ donation, kidney donation does not come without risks. However, the risks are negligible and the impact to the recipient’s life is significant. With the most difficult tasks including the pre-operative screening, the week long post-operative admission and general fatigue and slight depression, pos-operatively, the consensus to kidney donation is quite positive. To learn how you can become a live kidney donor, visit www.kidney.org .
