Jack Verga, loving husband and father of two, needs a kidney transplant.

THE FOLLOWING IS EXCERPTED FROM DUKE HEALTH’S LIVING TRANSPLANT SITE.

Living Donor Kidney Transplant

Donate a Kidney to a Loved One or Stranger

Deciding to donate a kidney is an intensely personal decision with priceless benefits to you, your recipient, and potentially to others in need of a kidney transplant. Research shows that people who receive kidneys from living donors live longer and have fewer complications than those who receive kidneys from deceased donors. The Duke kidney transplant team can help you understand the kidney donation process. Should you decide to donate your kidney to someone you know or if you prefer to be an altruistic, non-directed donor (meaning you do not have an intended recipient -- that is, donating to a stranger), we will be with you every step of the way.

The Benefits of Living Kidney Donation

Kidney transplant recipients experience many benefits when they receive a kidney from a living donor.

Kidneys Last Longer

According to the National Kidney Registry, kidneys transplanted from living donors can last nearly twice as long as kidneys from deceased donors -- sometimes up to 30 years or more.

Shorter Wait Time

Instead of your recipient having to wait for a call from the waitlist, the date and time of the surgery can be scheduled as soon as you and your recipient are ready.

Faster Recovery, Fewer Post-Transplant Complications

Because a living-donor kidney almost always works immediately after its placement, the recipient usually recovers faster and is less likely to experience post-transplant complications.

Kidney Donor Benefits

Many donors find their lives are enhanced by the emotional benefit and sense of pride that comes from knowing they helped someone in need. Studies show that up to 98% of living kidney donors would make the decision to donate again.

How to Donate A Kidney

These are the key steps in the living kidney donation process. 

Extensive Evaluation

A comprehensive physical and psychological evaluation process will confirm that you can undergo the surgery with no ill effects, physical or otherwise. We select only kidney donors we are confident can return to their normal lives after surgery. If you don’t live nearby, preliminary testing can be done in your own community, and the results are sent to us.

Kidney Donation Surgery

In most cases, transplant surgeons use minimally invasive techniques to remove your kidney. Two small incisions are created in your abdomen, through which a camera and other instruments are inserted. The kidney is removed through a slightly larger opening in the bottom of the abdomen. The surgery lasts about three to five hours.

Kidney Donation Recovery

Kidney donors typically spend one night in the hospital and go home the next day. You should be able to return to work within one to two weeks and should be back to most of your usual activities within a few weeks. Lifting restrictions are in place for 12 weeks.

Follow-Up Medical Care

Follow-up appointments with the transplant team are scheduled for one to two weeks after surgery and again at six months, one year, and two years. You can return to Duke to see a member of our team, or you can arrange for your primary care doctor to collect follow-up blood and urine samples and record vital signs like your weight and blood pressure.

Options If You and Your Recipient Don't Match

If you and your recipient aren’t a match, you may have other options that will allow your donation to proceed.

• ABO-incompatible Transplantation: Your recipient receives medical treatments before and after transplant that allow them to receive your kidney even if your blood types differ.

• Paired Exchange: You and your intended recipient can participate in a kidney swap. This means your intended recipient receives a kidney from someone else’s donor, and their intended recipient receives your kidney. A kidney swap is an option for donor/recipient pairs who have different blood types or who are not blood compatible. It can also help compatible pairs determine if a kidney is available with a better chance of working better and longer.