Can kidneys be donated after death?

Organs that can be donated after death are the heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, pancreas, small intestines, hands, face and uterus. A healthy person can become a ‘living donor’ by donating a kidney, or a part of the liver, lung, intestine, pancreas, uterus, blood, or bone marrow.

What is the life expectancy of a kidney donated by a deceased donor for a transplant?

A living donor kidney functions, on average, 12 to 20 years, and a deceased donor kidney from 8 to 12 years. Patients who get a kidney transplant before dialysis live an average of 10 to 15 years longer than if they stayed on dialysis.

What would disqualify you from donating a kidney?

To donate a kidney, you must be in good physical and mental health . There are some medical conditions that could prevent you from being a living donor . These include having uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, HIV, hepatitis, or acute infections .

Can a living person donate a kidney to a deceased person?

For this reason, a living person can donate a kidney, and living-donor kidney transplant is an alternative to deceased-donor kidney transplant. Overall, about two-thirds of the nearly 18,000 kidney transplants performed each year in the U.S. are deceased-donor kidney transplants, and the remaining are living donor kidney transplants.

Are there any successful kidney transplants from living donors?

Blood type incompatible kidney transplants and positive crossmatch/sensitized patient kidney transplants have been very successful in the United States and internationally. Success rates are close to those for transplants from compatible living donors and are better than success rates for deceased donor transplants.

How does Kidney Paired Donation ( KPD ) work?

Kidney paired donation, or KPD, also called kidney exchange, gives that transplant candidate another option. In KPD, living donor kidneys are swapped so each recipient receives a compatible transplant. The KPD Pilot Project is part of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

What are the different types of kidney donation?

There are two types of living donation: Directed donation – the living donor chooses the specific person they want to give their kidney to. This type of donation usually happens when the donor and patient are family members or friends. Non-directed donation – the living donor does not name a specific person who should receive their kidney.