Pros and cons of living donation

If a living donor gives a kidney or part of the liver to a patient, this has major advantages for the patient. But there are also disadvantages to living donation. The donor and recipient must know these before making a choice. You can read a number of these pros and cons below.

•

Advantages of living donation

• An organ from a living donor usually lasts longer.
• A transplantation with an organ from a living donor is a planned surgery. The donor and recipient are then as healthy as possible and the organ does not need to be transported, because the surgeries take place in the same hospital. The organ therefore usually works immediately. In a transplantation with an organ from a deceased donor, it may take a while before the kidney or liver works.
• The patient no longer has to be on the waiting list. This also shortens the waiting time for patients who do not have a living donor.
• The donor gives a patient a better life. That can give the donor a good feeling. If the recipient is the donor's partner or a family member, it also has a major impact on the donor's family life.

•

Disadvantages of living donation

• The donor undergoes surgery to give a kidney or part of the liver. Every surgery has risks. This also applies to living organ donation. The doctor in the transplant hospital will explain what the risks are and how high the probability of these is.
• Recovery takes time, so the donor will need help for a few weeks. For example, to clean the house or take care of the children. How long someone needs help varies per person. The donor can apply for compensation for any costs from the Dutch Transplant Foundation.
• If the donor knows the recipient, the relationship may change after the donation.
• The donor is thoroughly examined. During this process, medical problems can sometimes be discovered that you otherwise wouldn't have known about or would rather not have known about.
• The transplantation does not always go well. 10 to 15 percent of recipients experience rejection problems. The recipient's body then does not properly accept the donor organ. That is difficult and sad for the recipient, but also for the donor. Sometimes the rejection is so severe that the donor kidney or donor liver stops working.

In the hospital, the transplant team will also discuss these pros and cons with the donor. The risks associated with the donation and transplantation will also be discussed there.