Yes, the data and the research show that there are little if any changes to the health and welfare of living donors. Data from transplant recipients who received a living donation is often better than that of recipients who received a deceased organ transplant.

Living donor transplants have many advantages for recipients. For example, some living donor transplants are done between family members who are genetically similar (they have similar DNA). This makes it a better match and lessens the risk of rejection. Also, organs transplanted from living donors work longer and often better than those received from deceased donors.

To be a living donor, you must:

• Be in good physical and mental health
• Understand the risks and benefits of living donation
• Decide for yourself whether living donation is right for you

Gender and race are not factors in determining a successful match. Both you and the transplant hospital staff must decide whether living donation is right for you. The staff will gather a lot of information from you and about you. This is to make sure you are healthy and a good candidate to become a living donor.

No, you can direct your donated organ to a specific person. Or you can donate it to anyone who needs an organ—but you must match that person.

Giving an organ to a specific person is called directed donation. In directed donation, a donor who is medically compatible may be:

• A blood relative of the transplant recipient, such as a parent, brother, sister, or adult child.
• Someone close to the transplant recipient, such as a spouse, a friend, or a coworker.
• Someone the donor has heard about but does not know personally.

Nondirected donation is when you want to donate but do not know--and may never know--the person who receives your donated organ.

In nondirected donation, the donor may be:

• Someone wishing to donate to a stranger on the transplant waitlist.
• Someone who begins the process to donate to a friend or family member. They may later decide to donate to a stranger. This happens after the friend or family member gets an organ from someone else.
• A transplant hospital can match a nondirected donor to a transplant candidate who is a match. Sometimes, a match happens through a paired kidney exchange program. This process will be explained later.

If you want to donate a kidney to a specific person, but tests show that you are not a match, there are still ways you can make a living donation.

These include:

Kidney-paired donation (KPD). This is when a computer matches donors and recipients to identify compatible pairs. Think about it as a swap or an exchange.

Here's how it works:

• You want to donate a kidney to someone, but you are not medically compatible.
• Another person wants to donate a kidney to someone, but they also do not match.
• A computer matches you with a compatible recipient, and their donor matches with the person you want to help.
• Swapping donors allows both transplants to happen.
• Kidney-paired donation allows hundreds of people to get a transplant each year. The person you want to help may get a transplant more quickly in an exchange.

The process starts at a transplant hospital. Call a transplant hospital near you to talk about it.

List of transplant hospitals (donatelife.ny.gov)

If you pass the evaluation process, the final decision about whether you will donate is yours. Your decision must be informed and voluntary.

An informed decision means you understand:

• The donation process
• The risks and benefits of donation
• The other options a transplant candidate might have, such as dialysis or transplant from someone else, living or deceased

A voluntary decision means you:

• Feel no pressure from anyone to donate
• Know you may decide not to donate at any time
• Are not expecting a promise of money or anything of value because of your donation.

If you and the transplant hospital staff agree that it makes sense for you to be evaluated, they will work with you as you move through the process. You will then be assigned an independent living donor advocate. Their job is to protect you and ensure your interests are protected throughout the process. It is not their role to think about what the transplant candidate needs or to make transplants happen.

This decision is made jointly by the transplant team, by you, and by the recipient. The transplant team, especially the health care providers involved directly in your recipient's care, will determine as accurately as possible the best time to do the transplant. The timing will be based on the recipient's medical condition and the living donor's availability.

Your transplant hospital staff will talk with you about them. The best place to learn about risks is from your transplant hospital staff. If you hear about other possible risks, always go back and talk to your transplant hospital staff. When you make your decision, you need facts. Your transplant hospital is the best place to get them.

Every donor is different. It depends on the organ you are donating and your individual health care needs.

Yes, typically after your donation surgery, the surgeon who performed your surgery will schedule one or more follow-up appointments. They will take place a few weeks after your surgery. Subsequent follow-up appointments may vary based on the transplant hospital.

Ask the transplant hospital staff:

• What tests will be done
• Where the tests will take place-- at the transplant hospital, a local lab, or at your own health care provider's office
• Who will pay for follow-up

Sometimes, even if you feel well, tests may show you need treatment. Follow-up is very important. Transplant hospitals are expected to follow up with living donors for at least two years after surgery. Transplant hospitals must track and report to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) whether you get the tests you need after you donate.

Most medical costs associated with living donation are covered by the recipient's health insurance. These include a donor's evaluation, tests, and surgery. Talk to your transplant hospital staff if you need help paying for other tests you may need--for example, a colonoscopy, a mammogram, or a prostate exam.

Transplant hospital staff will talk with you about living donation expenses and how they are usually paid. The transplant hospital may require that living donors have their own health insurance to proceed with the donation.

The transplant candidate's insurance is not likely to cover other costs, such as:

• Transportation costs, dependent-care costs, or lost wages related to making the living donation
• Medical care if your evaluation shows that you have a disease that needs to be treated
• Every insurance policy is different. Be sure to ask questions about what medical costs may not be covered by insurance.

If you are employed, talk with your employer about other benefits that could be helpful.

These include:

• Vacation time
• Disability pay
• Sick time
• Leave of absence
• Talk with your transplant hospital staff if you need help with nonmedical costs, such as travel and lodging.

You may be able to get help with costs for travel expenses, lost wages, and dependent care during testing or surgery. The New York State Living Donor Support Program (NYS-LDSP) helps some donors with these kinds of expenses based on eligibility. Contact the New York State-Living Donor Support Program toll-free at 1-518- 408-3431 or go to Living Donor Support Program for more information.

A transplant recipient, family members, a transplant hospital, or charities also may be able to help you with certain nonmedical expenses. Ask your transplant hospital social worker to explain what kind of help you can accept. It is illegal to give or take money--or anything else of value, such as a gift or a vacation--in exchange for donating an organ.

Federal and New York State law protect living donors from having problems with health and other types of insurance, e.g., life insurance, disability insurance, etc., after donation. Talk with a social worker at the transplant hospital about risks and ways to protect yourself.

You can learn more by visiting the Organ Procurement Transplant Network (OPTN) webpage or the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) webpage.