Living kidney donation is when a person donates one of their two kidneys to someone with kidney failure. This is not the same as a deceased donation, where someone in need of a new kidney receives one from someone who has died. In the United States, more than 90,000 people are currently waiting for a kidney transplant, and about 28,000 kidney transplants were performed in 2024. Of those, approximately more than 7,000 donated kidneys came from living donors.
There are several types of living kidney donation, and each type varies based on the connection between the donor and recipient, as well as how well they match.
Living kidney donors must meet specific health and compatibility requirements to help make the process as safe and effective as possible.
To be considered for living kidney donation, you must meet several requirements:
Certain health issues may prevent you from becoming a living kidney donor, as these conditions could jeopardize your health or the success of the transplant.
Medical conditions that may disqualify a potential donor include:
If you are not a direct match with the person you intended to donate to, you can consider a paired kidney donation or a donation chain. A local donor from our center will be considered first to expedite the process.
You can also talk to your team about becoming a non-directed kidney donor and donating your kidney to someone you do not know.
Living kidney donation offers numerous benefits for you and the recipient, but as with any major surgery, it also has potential risks.
As a donor, you have access to a variety of support services and resources to help you make the best decision for yourself, regardless of whether you ultimately donate.
Your living donor advocate has extensive knowledge about the donation process and can help make sure you know about and can access the resources you need, including counseling and mental health care if needed. Peer mentor programs, like the one operated by the National Kidney Foundation, allow you to talk with other living donors and recipients who have been through the process.
There are numerous national organizations that provide information and support for living donors:
To learn more about the process for living kidney donor recipients and donors, download our pathway to kidney transplant guide.
Katie Morrow, inspired by her late father, became a non-directed kidney donor for a stranger, Susan Philips. Her then-fiancé, Chris, also became a non-directed donor to start a kidney chain, donating his kidney shortly after their wedding.
After more than six years of dialysis, Jose Suarez received a life-changing kidney transplant, which marked the 10,000th organ transplanted at Baylor University Medical Center’s Annette C. and Harold C. Simmons Transplant Institute.
Facing impending dialysis due to kidney disease, Kenny DeCay found an unexpected perfect donor match in his sister-in-law, Ja’Niece. Kenny's new kidney began working immediately, allowing him to regain his life.
