About Living-Donor Organ Transplantation

Since organ transplant surgery began, the number of seriously ill patients waiting for an organ has steadily gone up. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) registry has more than 106,000 people waiting for an organ.

Unfortunately, the need for organs exceeds the number of organs available.

Most people think of organ donation as something you can do when you die. But surgeons have found a way to use organs donated by people who are alive.

• During a living-donor liver transplant, a surgeon removes part of a healthy adult’s liver. They transplant that part into a patient who has end-stage liver disease. Both livers can grow to full size again in just a few months. This leaves both the living donor and the recipient with whole, healthy livers.
• During a living-donor kidney transplant, a surgeon removes one of two kidneys from a healthy adult. They transplant one kidney into a patient with end-stage kidney disease. Both the donor and patient can live a perfectly healthy life with just one working kidney.

Explore our transplant resources. These include patient education materials, support groups and more.

To be a living donor:

• You can be a family member, friend or even a stranger who is willing to help.
• You need to be physically and mentally healthy, with no history of illnesses involving any major organs.
• You do not have to have the same blood type as a patient on the transplant list.

Benefits of a Living-Donor Transplant

Living-donor transplants help save the lives of people with end-stage liver or kidney disease.

Living donors have the rare chance to save someone’s life. They can see their friend or loved one return to health and happiness, or know that a stranger will return to their loved ones.

Patients who get a living-donor transplant spend less time on the transplant waiting list. That means they are usually healthier at the time of transplant. This often leads to better outcomes and a faster recovery.

Compared to those who get an organ from a deceased donor, patients who get a living-donor transplant tend to:

• Live longer
• Have a donated organ that works better
• Have fewer complications

How to be a Living Kidney Donor

Start by filling out a Health History Questionnaire.

How to be a Living Liver Donor

Start by filling out a Health History Questionnaire.