Who Will Donate a Kidney to My Patient?

Who Will Donate a Kidney to My Patient?

If you’re on dialysis, it means your kidneys aren’t working well enough to remove waste and extra fluids from your body. Dialysis helps manage this, but it isn’t a cure. A kidney transplant is seen as the best long-term treatment.

1. Living Kidney Donors – A Lifeline

One of the best sources of kidney donation is a living donor. A healthy person can live a normal life with one kidney, making living donation a safe and common practice.

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Who Can Donate as a Living Donor?

  • – Family Members: Parents, siblings, children, uncles, aunts, and even cousins can be good matches due to genetic similarity.

  • – Spouses or Friends: Even without a genetic connection, these individuals may still be a suitable match.

  • – Altruistic Donors: These are strangers who willingly donate a kidney out of compassion.

2. Deceased Kidney Donors – The Most Common Source

If a living donor isn’t available, you might receive a kidney from a deceased donor. These are individuals who have passed away, either from brain death or cardiac arrest, and had previously registered to donate their organs.

How It Works:

  • – You are placed on a national transplant waiting list.

  • – Matching is based on blood type, HLA typing, and medical urgency.

  • – When a kidney becomes available, your transplant center will contact you.

3. Kidney Paired Donation – A Smart Option

Sometimes, a family member or friend wants to donate, but they aren’t a match for you. That’s where kidney exchange or paired donation comes in.

How It Works:

  • – You and your donor are matched with another incompatible recipient-donor pair.

  • – Each donor gives their kidney to the other’s patient.

  • – Both patients receive a kidney that matches them.

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