How Kidney Donation Works

Registering as a potential donor is your first step in the process to becoming a living kidney donor. You must be at least 18 years old and in good overall health.

After you register, you will complete several screenings and tests to ensure that your kidney is suitable for donation and that there are no medical, psychological, or social conditions that would make donation too risky. Our transplant experts use your results to assess your health and the health of your kidneys. Results also determine if you match with your intended recipient. Potential donors are also evaluated by an independent living donor advocate who is otherwise not involved in the transplant process.

If you do not hear from one of our transplant coordinators within one week of submitting your registration, please contact our Living Donor team at 855-366-7989 or email us.

Donation is confidential. Under federal law, Emory Healthcare cannot release any personal health information about you to a potential recipient or your evaluation with the intended recipient or anyone else without permission. Many times, multiple donors come forward for the same recipient; our team cannot disclose to the recipient who or how many donors are being evaluated.

Transplant surgery involves removing an organ, but it shares similarities with other surgeries. After the procedure, you will recover in the hospital for 1-2 nights. Your care team will give you medication to relieve any pain you feel from the surgery. But you will not need any long-term medicines related to the transplant.

We make sure you can walk on your own before you leave the hospital. You can expect to return to regular activities within four to six weeks. Following donation, our living donor team continues medical follow-up for up to 2 years, after which time we encourage regular follow-up with a primary care provider. As a kidney donor, you won’t have any food restrictions. But we recommend you follow a healthy, balanced diet and only drink alcohol in moderation.

Most medical costs associated with donation, including the costs of the evaluation, hospitalization, and post-donation care are covered by the recipient’s medical insurance. Any medical issues discovered during the evaluation that are not related to donation and that need further evaluation or treatment, will need to be covered by the donor’s personal health insurance.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, organ donation surgery is covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), which means that donors are entitled to up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave. Several states have also enacted legislation to protect organ donors. In Georgia, the recent passage of The Giving the Gift of Life Act (H.B. 275) ensures that life insurance companies cannot change or deny coverage to organ donors. In addition, H.B. 275 increases tax deduction for living organ donors up to $25,000.

In addition to the above, Emory Transplant Center participates in the national Donor Shield program, which provides several donor protections as well as cost reimbursement for donors, including for lost wages and travel & lodging expenses associated with donation.