WHAT IS LIVING ORGAN DONATION?
Giving organs after death is well-known; however, giving organs or a piece of organ (esp. kidneys or liver) from a living human to another human is known as living organ donation. Living organ donation helps kidney and liver patients who do not have to wait for a person to decease to get organs. This can save many patients, as they do not have to wait.
WHAT ARE THE MYTHS AND FACTS RELATED TO LIVING DONORS?
There are many myths and facts related to living donors:
- Myth: Kidney and liver diseases are rare, so not many people are waiting for a transplant.
- Fact: There is a growing number of kidney and liver disease. There is an increased number of patients awaiting donor organs. These people are on waiting list. The number of organs available is very limited.
- Myth: The donor has to be related to a recipient to donate.
- Fact: Today’s advanced immunosuppressant drugs (anti-rejection drugs) have made tissue typing less important when identifying a potential donor. Donors can be a spouse, family member, a friend, an acquaintance of the recipient, or an altruistic non-directed donor.
- Myth: You can only donate to a person with the same blood type
- Fact: Even if a donor does not have the same blood type as their intended recipient, there are options:
- Paired kidney exchange
- ABO (blood group) incompatible donation
In addition, anyone can receive a kidney from a blood group O donor, which is widely considered “the universal donor.”
- Myth: You can only donate to a person with the same blood type
- Fact: There are 4 blood types (O, A, B, AB) that can donate in the following ways:
- O: Universal donor (can donate to all blood types)
- A: Can donate to A or AB
- B: Can donate to B or AB
- AB: Can donate give to AB
- Rh type (“positive” or “negative”) does not matter for kidney transplantation.
- Myth: You only need one kidney, so anyone can be a kidney donor
- Fact: Living donors should be:
- Between the ages of 18 and 75 years old
- Free from diabetes
- Not obese (defined by BMI, which must be < 32-35)
- No active drug or alcohol abuse
- No significant medical conditions or recent cancer
- No significant psychiatric conditions
- Kidney stones and high blood pressure may also be exclusions
- Smoking and Oral Contraceptives will need to be stopped before surgery
- Myth: Donating a kidney is costly (monetarily) to the donor
- Fact: Donating a kidney is an act of service and will not cost the donor any money.
- Myth: There is a lengthy hospitalization and recovery after surgery
- Fact: After discharge from the hospital, donors are able to walk (slowly), eat and drink and perform basic daily activities such as showering. Someone must be available to stay with donors after hospital discharge for at least 3 days. Donors should not drive for 2-3 weeks and usually return to work after 2-6 weeks
- Myth: Donors lead a limited lifestyle after donating.
- Fact: After recovery, donors live a normal life without limitations on their activity. Donors have no long-term restrictions on exercise, though exercise should be resumed slowly after surgery. Donors should receive routine care from their primary care physician, maintain a healthy weight and eat a healthy diet. We recommend that donors who stopped smoking do not start again. Pregnancy post-donation is usually normal though additional monitoring may be recommended
WHY KIMS?
At KIMS, one of the best organ transplant hospitals in Hyderabad, we perform adult kidney, liver, pancreas, and simultaneous kidney/pancreas, and paediatric kidney transplant surgeries and provide all necessary services to support and guide you through the transplantation experience.
As one of only hospitals with the best transplant specialist doctors in Hyderabad, we provide complete pre-transplant evaluation, surgical services, and post-operative care. In a short span of time, we have opened a brand in Kondapur and managed to become one of the best transplant specialist hospitals in Kondapur.