Multi-Organ Transplant Program

Living Kidney Donation

Kidneys from living donors have become an increasingly important resource in treating end-stage kidney disease. Recipients of kidney transplants from living donors enjoy superior overall patient and kidney transplant survival rates compared with patients who receive a deceased donor kidney transplant. Removal of a kidney from a living donor (called a nephrectomy) provides minimal risks for the donor along with increased feelings of self-worth and may, therefore, be medically and ethically justifiable for the healthy, well-informed donor.

Who can be a living donor?

People can donate one of their two kidneys if they are in excellent health and older than 18 years of age. A person may donate to a spouse, brother, sister, parent, child, or someone who is very important to him or her. The donor's blood type must be compatible with the recipient's blood type. Before donating, the potential donor must undergo medical tests, including blood tests, urine tests, and x-rays. Potential donors need to meet with the Living Donation Team such as the living donation coordinator, social worker, surgeon and nephrologist.

You can find out more about the assessment process for living kidney donation by reading Information about LIving KIdney Donation.

What are the advantages?

A kidney transplant from a living donor generally has a higher success rate because the kidney may be a better genetic match and therefore not as likely to be rejected. Also, the time between the donor and recipient surgeries is usually minimal, which may improve long-term transplant survival. Generally, recipients with a kidney from a living donor have a 95 per cent success rate at the end of one year compared to 90 per cent success rate when the kidney comes from a deceased donor. In addition, the recipient does not have to wait for a deceased donor's organ, which can be as long as 2-5 years. Patients who have received a new kidney often feel as if they have received a new lease on life. Having helped someone improve their quality of life can be very rewarding for the donor.

What are the disadvantages for the donor?

While donating a kidney to someone they care about can be a very positive experience, there are some disadvantages. The assessment can be inconvenient and time consuming, taking about 2-3 days. It can take up to 6 months from the start of testing until the surgery is booked. As with any major surgery, there are some surgical and anesthetic risks. There is some discomfort after the surgery, and the donor is usually off work for 6 weeks following the donation. While there is no increased risk of developing kidney failure, people with one kidney have a slightly higher chance of developing high blood pressure. As a precaution, people who donate one kidney are asked to have annual check ups either with their family doctor or the transplant program to ensure ongoing health.

Patient Handbook

Click here to read a more detailed handbook about living kidney donation.

PRELOD (Program for Reimbursing Expenses of Living Organ Donors)

PRELOD is a last-resort program to help assist potential and actual living organ donors with some of the out-of-hospital expenses associated with their donation; for example, travel, parking, accommodation, meals, loss of income. PRELOD aims to reduce the financial burden incurred by living kidney donors. This is a new government program, only applicable to donors whose recipient lives in Ontario and only effective if the donation occurred after August 3, 2007. There is eligibility criteria that donors must meet to obtain reimbursement. For further information about PRELOD, you can call 1-888-9PRELOD or 416-619-2342, or contact the PRELOD Administrator at PRELOD@giftoflife.on.ca

Information is also available on the Trillium Gift of Life Network site.

Contact information

Living Kidney Donation Coordinator: Diane Smith 519.685.8500 ext 32331