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“If you or a loved one is suffering from liver or kidney failure, organ transplantation may be the solution to living a longer, healthier and more fulfilling life,” said Michael R. Marvin, M.D., chairman of the department of transplantation and liver surgery for Geisinger.

A patient on the kidney waiting list waits an average of five to seven years. Family members, friends and even anonymous individuals can become living donors if they meet the requirements to donate.

Here are five things to know about donating a kidney, according to Dr. Marvin:

What happens first?

Screening and testing to determine eligibility. Doctors need to make sure you’re healthy and a good match for the potential recipient.

What is the surgery like?

Living donor kidney procedures are generally performed using a laparoscopic (minimally invasive) approach that results in shorter recovery time and a rapid return to work and normal activities.

Is it safe to live with one kidney?

When one kidney is removed, the remaining kidney will compensate for the loss of the other kidney. Although there are never guarantees, those who we accept as donors should be able to live their life with one kidney without any problems.

How long does recovery take?

Living donors generally stay in the hospital two to three days, but the length of time varies depending on your rate of recovery and how your surgery went. When you leave the hospital, you will feel tenderness, as well as some pain and itching at your incision site while it heals and will be advised to refrain from heavy lifting for about six weeks.

How long will the donation last?

Typically, living donor kidneys last longer than those from deceased donors. Not only can the transplant lengthen the recipient’s life, but it can also improve their quality of life.

Brenda Hudson watches as her husband and kidney donor Dana, right, is taken to the operating room in 2016 to undergo a living donor kidney transplant at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington. People on the waiting list for a kidney typically wait five to seven years. Family members, friends and even anonymous individuals can become living donors if they meet the requirements.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_AP_16191154420644.jpg.optimal.jpgBrenda Hudson watches as her husband and kidney donor Dana, right, is taken to the operating room in 2016 to undergo a living donor kidney transplant at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington. People on the waiting list for a kidney typically wait five to seven years. Family members, friends and even anonymous individuals can become living donors if they meet the requirements. Molly Riley | AP file photo

A surgical team removes a kidney from a donor during the first part of a kidney transplant surgery at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington. The laparoscopic technique that is used to remove kidneys from living donors is minimally invasive and recovery times are typically quick.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_AP_245756502768.jpg.optimal.jpgA surgical team removes a kidney from a donor during the first part of a kidney transplant surgery at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington. The laparoscopic technique that is used to remove kidneys from living donors is minimally invasive and recovery times are typically quick. Molly Riley | AP file photo

The first step in becoming a kidney donor is screening and testing to determine eligibility. A doctor must be certain a potential donor is healthy and a good match for a potential recipient.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_Kidney.jpg.optimal.jpgThe first step in becoming a kidney donor is screening and testing to determine eligibility. A doctor must be certain a potential donor is healthy and a good match for a potential recipient. Jessica Kourkounis | AP file photo
A Q&A with Dr. Michael R. Marvin of Geisinger

Special to the Times Leader

Wish to donate a kidney to save a life?

Search “Geisinger Transplant” online or go to Geisinger.org/transplant. Click on “Sign up to be a living donor” and fill out the brief form:

Name

Address

Date of birth

Phone number

Name of potential organ recipient

An organ donation expert will follow up with you to verify the information, then to review your medical history. If you pass those screenings, you’ll submit a blood sample to test your blood and tissue compatibility. You can stop by a local lab, or request a mail-in kit. There’s no cost to you for these screenings.

To donate a kidney, you must:

Be over 18

Have a BMI under 35

Not have high blood pressure that requires more than one medication to control, diabetes, active cancer or active substance abuse

Not be pregnant

March is National Kidney Month. For more information about donating an organ, please visit Geisinger.org/transplant or http://www.donors1.org/livingdonation/.