Q
: 1
07/26/2010 |
Please tell me the minimum and maximum weight a donor should be?
There is not a minimum weight for donation but many centers set a maximum body mass index for most being a maximum of 35 which would be considered below obesity.
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Q
: 2
07/14/2010 |
Can you donate a kidney to a family member if you are different blood types?
Not directly but there are some transplant centers that can perform blood type incompatible transplants with increase risk of failure in the recipient as well as being involved in programs like paired kidney exchange whereby pairs of blood type incomapatible patients 'exchange' donors for compatible transplantation so that both recipients receive a living donor transplant.
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Q
: 3
06/15/2010 |
What is the test to find out if you are a match to someone to donate a kidney to them?
Blood type testing to determine blood type compatibility is necessary along with crossmatching to see if the recipient possesses any antibodies to the donor DNA are the first initial steps in determining a donor's 'compatibility' to donate directly to the intended recipient. This is done only at a transplant center.
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Q
: 4
05/11/2010 |
How long after giving birth would it typically be safe to donate a kidney, assuming the mother is in good health and recovers as expected after birth?
Although there is no good data on the timing after birth, I would say approximately 4-6 months should be appropriate as long as the mother is not breastfeeding as the anesthetic and pain meds could be harmful to the baby.
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Q
: 5
05/11/2010 |
How long after the blood test will I know if I'm a match as a kidney donor?
This is very different for various transplant centers. You should know right away if you are blood type compatible and the crossmatch should take about 2 weeks.
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Q
: 6
03/04/2010 |
How does non-excessive alcohol use affect a donor's chances?
This is not a contraindication to organ donation.
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Q
: 7
02/22/2010 |
Can I donate a kidney even if I have PCOS?
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is, of itself, not a contraindication to organ donation but is center dependent. You would need to have clearance from your OB/GYN prior to donation.
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Q
: 8
02/03/2010 |
If I donate a kidney to a friend will it shorten my life expectancy?
Data has shown that kidney donation does not affect life expectancy.
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Q
: 9
02/03/2010 |
If I am on medication for high blood pressure, can I still donate a kidney?
This depends upon the center. Newer data has demonstrated that non-African American patients on a simple regimen of anti-hypertensive meds can be kidney donors as long as the have regular yearly followup (at a minimum) with their primary care physician to follow this issue after donation. Many centers like our own allow this for donors.
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Q
: 10
02/01/2010 |
How old do you have to be to donate a kidney?
Donors must be of consenting age (18 in most states) or have the permission of your legal guardian.
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Q
: 11
01/25/2010 |
Is it true that high blood pressure will prevent one from donating a kidney? I want to see if I am a match for my sister-in-law, who needs a transplant eventually. Will I be ruled out because I have high blood pressure?
This is dependent upon transplant center and race. Many transplant centers like our own (but not all) are allowing non-African American individuals with well controlled HTN to become kidney donors assuming no other medical barriers. The donor must assure regular and ongoing follow up first with the donor center and then with their primary care physician following surgery to monitor their BP and kidney function thereafter.
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Q
: 12
01/13/2010 |
I am curious about what is the probability of a match for a person needing a donated kidney in a population of say 100 or 200 people. I'm not talking about a likelihood they would donate if a match, just a probability that a person in the 100 or 200 person group would match the person needing a kidney.
The 'match' has perhaps received more attention than it is due. The importance is to determine whether someone has a compatible blood type as a donor (O being the universal donor blood type) and whether the donor and recipient have a negative crossmatch which determines if the recipient has any pre-formed antibodies to the donor DNA which very rarely occurs in someone that has never been transplanted before. The answer then lies in the determining the blood type of the recipient. If their blood type is AB (the universal recipient) than their chances are very good. If their blood type is O then they need a blood type O donor for compatibility. Types A and B are somewhere in between.
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Q
: 13
01/08/2010 |
I want to donate a kidney, but I am unemployed and uninsured. How realistic is the recent press that kidney donors are uninsurable following organ donation? Does your team recommend someone in my situation donate?
This is a very important question. Yes, in fact, there have been situations where donors have been denied insurance following organ donation. While I find this deplorable and incomprehensible, it is a reality. Presently, there is much effort being directed at this very issue in Congress, but it still has to be considered. In my experience, donors are often denied because of a medical problem (ie Hypertension) that, in addition to their donation, they are denied for. I would feel comfortable with someone who is otherwise without an additional diagnosis becoming a kidney donor. At the University of Maryland, we consider all of the potential risks (health and lifestyle related) for both patients and donors.
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Q
: 14
12/16/2009 |
My brother needs a transplant and I tried to be the donor. I was turned down because my creatinine level was 84 and the doctors said it needed to be 90 or above. Why is that and what does that mean?
Kidney function is estimated by looking at the measured creatinine in the blood which is a normal break down product of muscle in the blood. This can be extremely variable in individuals based upon age, sex, and body mass. We therefore utilize the glomerular filtration rate which although is still an estimated measure of kidney function is more precise as it adds these additional variables. Donors need a minimal GFR in order to assure that upon removal of a kidney, they will continue to have enough functioning glomeruli to do the amount of work that the body requires. A level of 84 is below the threshold for centers to say that it is safe for you to donate a kidney and not potentially have significant renal problems in the future.
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Q
: 15
12/15/2009 |
Which kidney is typically removed for donation?
The majority of the time the transplant center will remove the left kidney due to the vascular (artery and vein) anatomical differences of the left versus the right kidney. The left has a much longer vein making transplantation much easier on the recipient. The final decision is based upon the radiological evidence performed as a final step in the evaluation process sometimes with the plan for a right kidney removal to keep the "better" kidney in the donor for multiple reasons which may be better explained at the time of evaluation.
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