How to be a hero: 3 FAQs about being a living kidney donor

To be a living donor, you must be in good health. A donor cannot have diabetes or active cancer.

You must also be:

• Willing to voluntarily donate a kidney

• On no more than two medications to control high blood pressure

• Not overweight, with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or lower

• Over age 18

• Committed to taking care of your health after donation

According to Donate Life America, if you hope to donate a kidney to a particular person but tests reveal you are not a good medical match, paired donation or paired kidney exchange is another option. In paired donation, two or more incompatible donor-recipient pairs are matched for a kidney “swap,” so each recipient receives a compatible transplant.

Testing to see if you are a match must be done first. This will involve blood testing and exams to determine that you are physically healthy enough to donate.

This typically includes:

• Blood and urine testing

• Appointments with your Transplant Coordinator, Independent Living Donor Advocate, donor surgeon, kidney specialist (nephrologist), social worker, registered dietician and, in some cases, a transplant psychologist

• An electrocardiogram (ECG) of your heart and/or an exercise stress test

• A chest X-ray and computed tomography (CT) scan of your kidneys

You will also be required to keep your age-appropriate recommended cancer screenings up to date such as Pap smear, mammograms and colonoscopy or FIT testing.

Additional testing may be requested by the nephrologist or surgeon. If you have abnormal test results, you may be referred to your own doctor for a thorough evaluation.

The fees for postoperative and follow-up visits will be paid by Medicare or the recipient’s insurance (insurance coverage varies). On average, most kidney donors are hospitalized for one to two nights for the transplant surgery.

Your health and well-being are as much of a concern for the transplant team as the recipient’s health and well-being are. Though you will only have one kidney operating after the procedure, the risks are minimal. The remaining kidney takes on the responsibilities of both kidneys.

You will experience some pain and discomfort after the procedure for approximately one week but will otherwise be able to resume normal activity with no lifestyle changes. Most kidney donors should be able to return to exercise about four to six weeks after surgery. However, as with any major surgery, there is always a risk of complications.