Kidney donation cost

What is kidney donation? Kidney donation involves giving one kidney to someone whose kidneys don’t work anymore. This condition is known as kidney failure, or end stage renal disease (ESRD) During a kidney transplant procedure, a surgeon implants a donated kidney into someone who needs it. A donated kidney may come from a deceased or living donor. What do the kidneys do? Most people are born with two kidneys. (Rarely, some people have just one.) These organs, located in the back of your abdomen, are part of the Who might need a donated kidney? More than 90,000 Americans need new kidneys. There is a shortage of organs as more patients go into renal failure than kidneys are available. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) oversees a national waitlist for organ transplants. Patients need to get on this waitlist in order to get a kidney. The order of the list is based on patients’ time on the list or their time on dialysis. The longer you are on the list or on dialysis, the higher you are on the list. What causes kidney failure? • Autoimmune diseases, such as • Chronic (returning again and again) • Genetic diseases (conditions you’re born with), such as • What is living kidney donation? Most of us have two kidneys, but we only need one to survive. A living donor is a healthy person who has undergone extensive testing and agrees to donate one healthy kidney to a ESRD patient. The person who receive the organ (recipient) is often a family member, loved one, friend or even ...

By Dr. When it comes to donating a kidney, you’ve probably heard conflicting information about the process. Whether you’re considering donating or you’re just trying to learn more, here’s what you need to know. Myth #1: Only young people can donate a kidney There’s no absolute age limit for adult donors, and we welcome “older” donors who want to help save a life. Requirements to be a kidney donor include: • Being 18 or older • Being in good health with no chronic medical conditions • Having normal kidney function Younger donors are typically matched with younger recipients. If you’re older and you’d like to donate to someone younger but would be willing to donate to someone else, we can find you a more suitable match. This program, called donor exchange, pairs donors with a better match and finds a new match for you. Your transplant team will help coordinate this. Myth #2: You have to be related to someone to give them your kidney You don’t have to be related to someone to donate. In fact, many donors aren’t a match for their family members. Before you can start the process, you’ll undergo testing to determine if you’re a match. Pre-donation testing may include: • Physical exam • Chest X-ray • Cancer screening • Urine testing • Bloodwork To be a match, you need to have a compatible: • Blood type — If you have type O blood, you can give to anyone regardless of their blood type (O, A, B or AB). If you have type A, B or AB blood, you can give to someone with the same blood gr...

Ensuring that U.S. kidney patients are able to access the health care and tools they need to survive and thrive has been the heart of the American Kidney Fund's mission since our founding more than 50 years ago. Our need-based financial assistance programs help patients with health insurance premiums, transportation costs, prescription medications, and many other necessities related to health care. And, our medically-reviewed education resources help people prevent and manage their kidney disease. With the support of the generous American public, we've helped more than 1.5 million patients since 1971. We provide this assistance as funding becomes available, and we are grateful to the 63,000 individuals, foundations and corporations who support our independent, nonprofit work with charitable donations.