Living kidney donation
You only need one of your two kidneys. That is why you can donate a kidney during your lifetime. This is called living kidney donation.
Living kidney donation means that a healthy person gives a kidney to a patient who needs one. The donation gives the recipient a better chance of feeling better and living longer. The donor can continue living with one kidney after the surgery.
Donating a kidney
Every year, about 500 people choose to donate a kidney during their lifetime to someone else. Often, donors choose to donate during their lifetime because someone in their circle has a serious kidney disease. For example, a child, partner, or friend. But sometimes someone chooses to anonymously donate a kidney to a stranger, or to someone they have seen on television or social media.
Read more here about who you can donate to
Big decision
It is important that you never feel pressured to donate a kidney to someone, such as a friend or family member. Donating a kidney is a big decision that you need to think through carefully. Living donation has advantages and disadvantages for both the recipient and the donor.
Anyone considering donating a kidney can make an appointment at a transplant hospital. The social worker or living donation coordinator can then provide more information during a conversation about the donation and everything it entails. It can also help to talk about donating a kidney with your family, partner, or children.
Not everyone who wants to donate a kidney can become a donor. There are a number of rules you must meet. For example, you must be at least 18 years old, voluntarily choose to donate, and be healthy.
Read more here about the conditions for living kidney donation
Altruistic donation: a kidney for a stranger
Petra and Cees both donated a kidney to someone they do not know. They really wanted to do something good for a seriously ill patient.
Read the story of Petra and Cees
Check if you can donate
If someone indicates at the hospital that they want to donate a kidney, doctors investigate whether they can be a suitable donor. Not everyone who wants to donate a kidney can become a donor. For example, it is extensively checked whether you are healthy enough, whether you are making the decision voluntarily, and whether you can handle emotions. And the donor's kidney must also be a good match for the recipient's body.
The exact procedure for the medical examinations varies per hospital. The specialists at the transplant hospital will provide more information about the required tests. These examinations take time: it often takes a few months before you hear whether you are allowed to donate a kidney.
The kidney donation surgery
Once a donor is deemed suitable, the surgery is scheduled. There is often still a number of weeks between the moment the donor is found suitable and the donation itself. This depends, among other things, on the health of the kidney recipient and how urgently the transplant is needed.
After the surgery, the donor is also temporarily a 'patient' who needs to recover from an operation. The donor will therefore have to stay in the hospital for a few days afterwards, and will need a few more weeks to recover from the donation. During this time, the donor is often unable to work and will need help.
The donor may stop the donation process at any time during the preparation phase. This is also allowed right up until the surgery. The doctors at the hospital will always respect that.
Frequently asked questions
What if I need a kidney myself later?
If you, as a kidney donor, later need a donor kidney yourself, you will receive priority on the waiting list for a kidney from a deceased donor.Just like for any other patient, the rule applies that you only get on the waiting list if examinations show that a transplant is possible. This rule only applies to kidney donations made in countries affiliated with Eurotransplant.
Do I receive compensation for kidney donation?
You are not allowed to receive money or large gifts for donating a kidney. Travel expenses, medical costs, and potential loss of income are reimbursed, however. You can read more about this on the website of the Dutch Transplantation Foundation.
Are there risks involved in donating a kidney?
Yes, as with any surgery, there are risks involved in donating a kidney. The specialists at the hospital can tell you more about what the risks are and how likely they are. You can read more about this on the website of the Dutch Transplantation Foundation.
How long does recovery take after a kidney donation?
How long it takes to recover after donating a kidney while living varies per person. The first few weeks, as a donor, you must take it easy and avoid physical work. For example, you are not allowed to lift heavy objects and will need help around the house. On average, donors are largely recovered six weeks after the surgery. Fatigue symptoms can last longer; this varies greatly per person. It often takes one to three months before you feel like you did before the donation.
The treating team at the hospital can tell you more about the recovery after the donation.
Where can I go for more information?
If you want to donate a kidney during your lifetime or want more information about living kidney donation, you can contact a university hospital near you.