Frequently asked questions about living donation

You can live well with one healthy kidney. The remaining kidney partially takes over the work of the removed kidney. Your total kidney function is then about 65 to 75 percent of what it was when you still had two kidneys. That is more than enough. Most people who have donated a kidney therefore notice no difference at all compared to when they still had two kidneys. You also do not need to take medication or follow a diet.

If someone donates part of their liver, it grows back within about six weeks. The liver then works normally again, just like before the operation. In a liver donation, the surgeon also removes the gallbladder. The gallbladder helps digest fats. You can live well without a gallbladder, but sometimes you do need to adjust your diet.

In the Netherlands, you are not allowed to make money from donating a kidney or part of your liver.Living donation must always be voluntary and without payment. You are also not allowed to receive large gifts for the donation.

You can, however, receive compensation for expenses if you donate an organ while alive. You will then get money back for the costs you incur before and after the operation. Think of travel expenses or extra childcare, for example. The donor can apply for this expense reimbursementat the Dutch Transplantation Foundation.

Living donation has advantages and disadvantages. It is important that you know this before you decide whether you want to donate an organ.Read more about the pros and cons.

Exactly how long it takes to recover after donating a kidney while alive varies from person to person. The first few weeks you must take rest as a donor and avoid physical work. For example, you are not allowed to lift things and you need help at home. On average, donors are largely recovered six weeks after the operation. 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 treatment team in the hospital can tell you more about the recovery after the donation.

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.

If you want to donate a kidney or part of your liver during your lifetime, you must meet certain requirements. You must also be healthy enough to undergo surgery. For more information on how to become a living donor, you can contact an academic hospital near you.