Benefits Of Living Kidney Donation
At A Glance:
Saving A Human Life
Over 9 people die every day waiting for a kidney transplant. By donating one of your kidneys, you would not only save the life of the recipient, but also give the gift of saving a family.
Greater Success Rates
Living Donor Transplants have a 90-95% success rate, while deceased donors take much longer to find and have a lower success rate
Longevity and Quality of Life
People only need 1 kidney to live a healthy and active life! The surgery to remove a kidney is minimally invasive and the transplant can last over 20 years for the recipient, while a deceased donor transplants typically lasts only 12.
Continued:
Benefits of
Living Kidney Donation
Over 5,000 people die every year waiting for a kidney transplant.
Living kidney donation has revolutionized kidney transplantation and is now preferred when compared to a deceased donor transplant.
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You only need ONE kidney to live a healthy, normal and active life!
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A Kidney from a living donor lasts twice as long as a deceased donor
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Surgery to remove a kidney is minimally invasive
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Short and long term survival rates are significantly higher for transplants from living donors than transplants from deceased donors. (Approx 18 years from a living donor, compared to 12 years from a deceased donor).
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Living donor kidneys start functioning immediately, whereas deceased donor kidneys can take from a few days to a few weeks to start functioning. (Often called a Sleepy Kidney)
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Shortens the waiting time for others on the kidney trasnplant waiting list (Can take over 10 years to receive a kidney, and some never do)
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Health deteriorates the longer someone remains on dialysis
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A kidney transplant doubles the life expectancy compared to staying on kidney dialysis treatment.
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The recipient has time to plan for the transplant & the surgery can be scheduled at a mutually-agreed upon time rather than performed on an emergency basis
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Waiting for a deceased donor can be very stressful and unhealthy.
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The most important aspect of living donation is the psychological benefit. The recipient can experience positive feelings knowing that the gift came from a loved one or a caring stranger. The donor experiences the satisfaction of knowing that he or she has saved the life of the recipient.