Did you know that most of us have two kidneys, and when you donate one the other enlarges to take on the extra workload?
Any healthy person can safely donate a kidney.
View from UCSF exam room where lots of tests have led up to the care team’s decision to move forward with donation
The surgery itself is relatively simple for the donor. Granted, it’s major surgery and an organ you’re born with will be removed and placed in another person’s body — what? But for the donor, the procedure is mostly laparoscopic until the kidney is freed from it’s original home. Then a 3″ to 4″ incision is made on the bikini line and the kidney is removed. Recovery for the donor is similar to any surgery, four to six weeks of rest, no lifting more than 10 pounds, and that sort of thing. Yearly blood pressure checks are required, and it’s a good idea to check in on things annually to make sure everything is functioning well.
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