Living Donor Kidney Transplant

Overview

Live donor transplants are an important and lifesaving option for patients awaiting a healthy organ.

Due to a shortage of deceased donor organs, nearly 100,000 are on the waiting list for a kidney transplant in the United States. It can take up to four years for a deceased donor kidney to become available, and some people become too sick in that time to have their surgery.

Living donor organs offer new hope for transplant recipients with better outcomes and shorter waiting periods while decreasing our reliance on deceased organs.

What is a Living Donor Kidney Transplant?

During a living donor kidney transplant, one kidney from a healthy living person is transplanted into the patient whose kidneys are not working as they should. To have the surgery, the patient typically needs to have a family member, friend, or acquaintance who is willing and able to donate their organ. Transplant surgeons at the University of Rochester Medical Center perform donation surgery using minimally invasive techniques, including robot-assisted surgery.

UR Medicine's Approach

We know that donating your kidney is a life-long commitment. We’re with you every step of the way. Our definition of success extends far beyond the operating room. We commit the time and resources to making your life after the transplant itself as successful as possible.

It takes a team to perform a live donor transplant and we’ve gathered a team of experts from all over the world.

Our kidney donor team includes:

Transplant surgeons perform your procedure.
Nephrologists evaluate whether it is safe for you to donate and take care of your kidneys after surgery.
Independent living donor advocate, whose sole responsibility is to advocate for your best interests during the donation process.
Live donor coordinator will guide you through the donation evaluation and recovery.
Social workers, psychiatrists, and psychologists care for your mental and emotional health and help you access available resources.
Dietitians help ensure you are getting proper nutrition and educate you on the type of diet you may need to follow before and after your donation.
Pharmacists dispense medication, answer questions, and consult with doctors about which medications are best for you.
You are an important member of your care team! You will be kept up-to-date about your treatment plan and be involved in any decision-making.

The UR Medicine Living Kidney Donor Program performs a complete evaluation that includes medical testing, surgical screening, social work evaluation, independent living donor advocate evaluation, financial counseling, clinical nutrition counseling, and psychological consultation.

What Sets Us Apart?

The University of Rochester founded the biopsychosocial model, which treats the whole patient rather than just disease. We consider all your life circumstances, personalizing your treatment based on what’s best for you. This includes providing a transplant psychiatrist and social worker who look after your mental and emotional well-being.

You can see the excellent outcomes of our transplantation program at the following links:

We aim to make this as simple and stress-free as possible for patients and their families. For patients traveling from out of town, we have partnerships with local organizations that provide affordable places to stay, such as the Hope Lodge and Harbor House.

We also partner with national organizations such as the National Living Donor Assistance Center to help eligible donors apply for financial assistance to offset the costs of donation.