Transplantation
25 Facts About Organ Donation and Transplantation
The success rates of transplant surgery have improved remarkably, but growing shortages exist in the supply of organs and tissues available for transplantation. Many Americans who need transplants cannot get them because of these shortages. The result: some of these people die while waiting for that "Gift of Life."
Each year, the National Kidney Foundation develops special public education programs aimed at increasing public awareness of the need for organ and tissue donation. Learning more about organ and tissue donation will help every American to make an informed decision about this important issue. Here are some facts everyone should know: 
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Kidney Transplant
Dear Patient:
In writing this letter, we wish to reach those of you who are several years away from end-stage renal disease. If you are a dialysis patient already, the information is equally as important for you to read. We’d like to convey the importance of getting involved in the transplantation process early in your disease.
Kidney transplantation will not only provide you with a better lifestyle, it will also significantly prolong your life expectancy compared to dialysis.
There are two types of kidney transplants:
- A kidney is obtained from someone who has died and the family has lovingly asked that the kidney be donated to someone in need.
- Live donor transplant, where a relative, spouse, or friend donates a kidney to someone with kidney failure.
Major differences between the two types of transplants are that live donor kidneys tend to last much longer. On average, the deceased donor kidney will last 8 to 10 years, whereas a live donor kidney will often last 15 to 20 years. Another major difference is the time one has to wait for a kidney. Deceased donor kidney transplantation involves a long wait, often in the range of five years, while a live donor transplant can generally be placed shortly after a donor is identified.
The long waiting time is why it is important to pursue kidney transplantation well in advance of your need to receive a transplant.
There are a number of very good transplant centers in the Delaware Valley. If you know that you have kidney disease that is likely to progress to kidney failure in the future, now is the time to contact one of the hospitals to undergo kidney transplant evaluation. This entails going to a center and spending usually a half a day there in a session where you:
- Are educated about kidney transplantation
- Discuss in great detail the benefits and risks with a specialist
- You leave with the information that will allow you to make important, educated decisions
- At the same time, the center may request that you have certain tests done to ensure feasibility of transplantation.
It is a good idea to bring family members or friends that could potentially be interested in donation. The main point is that kidney transplantations are successful, they are not experimental, and it is very important to learn about them early on in your disease.
Sincerely,
George C. Francos, M.D.
Medical Director Kidney Transplantation Program
