Researchers have found that the risk of death for individuals who volunteer to donate a kidney is even lower than previously believed. A study conducted over 30 years of living kidney donation found that by 2022, fewer than 1 in 10,000 donors died within three months of the surgery. This improved safety rate is attributed to advancements in surgical techniques.
Dr. Dorry Segev, a transplant surgeon at NYU Langone Health, highlighted the increasing safety of living donor operations and called for updates to guidelines to reflect these improvements. He believes this new information could potentially encourage more people to consider living donation as a viable option.
Living kidney donation plays a critical role in addressing the significant need for organ transplants, especially considering the long waitlists for deceased donor organs. However, despite the benefits of living donation, only a fraction of kidney transplants in the US, 6,290 out of over 27,000, were from living donors last year. Factors such as safety concerns, lack of awareness, and financial implications for donors contribute to this low number.
Analyzing data from over 164,000 living kidney donations, researchers identified 36 post-surgical deaths, with male donors and those with a history of high blood pressure being at higher risk. The study also pointed out that newer surgical methods have significantly reduced the risks associated with living kidney donation since 2013.
While living kidney donation is generally safe, there are long-term risks to consider, such as the remaining kidney’s lifespan and the potential for kidney failure in the donor. Doctors evaluate various factors to determine a potential donor’s eligibility and assess the risk of future complications.
The shift towards older living donors is noted as it becomes easier to predict their remaining kidney’s longevity. In case a living donor experiences kidney failure later on, they receive priority for a transplant. Understanding the evolving safety and risks associated with living kidney donation is essential for potential donors and transplant centers to make informed decisions.
