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Give Hope. Give Life.

Someone you know is hoping for someone like you. Discover how saving a life can change yours through our Living Donor Program.

Why Living Kidney Donations?

  • They're faster. Recipients spend less time waiting for a kidney.
  • They're better. Living donor kidneys usually function faster and more effectively.
  • They're stronger. Living donor kidneys last twice as long, on average.

What to Expect

Start Your Journey

Complete Your Application

Your application to our Living Donor Program is more than paperwork. It's a turning point in your story, the first step toward saving a life. It's also our donor team’s window into your medical history and the first step toward determining your eligibility.

Before we move your application forward, our team will review your application to make sure you meet the following transplant donor qualifications:

  • Willingness to donate
  • 18 years or older
  • Good physical health (free of diabetes, heart disease, cancer or other chronic conditions)

As we review your application, our goal is to make sure you don’t have any conditions that could put you at risk for surgical or long-term complications.

Compatibility

Making a Match

Once we receive your application and our team has determined that you meet the basic eligibility requirements, we'll perform an initial compatibility test to see if you and your recipient are a good match. The test consists of:

  • Blood test to check compatibility between you and the transplant candidate
  • HLA (genetic testing)
  • Cross-matching, a blood test designed to help determine how the transplant candidate will react to your kidney.

And because our patient's privacy and safety are always our top priority, rest assured that all testing is completely confidential.

Paired Donor Exchange: A Unique Alternative

Not everyone who wants to become a living donor will be the right match for their recipient. In that event, our paired donation program provides donor and transplant candidates another option. Paired donation is designed to match you and your recipient to another donor and recipient in the same situation. By exchanging donors, we can find compatible matches for both recipients.

Evaluation

Our Personalized Evaluation

Your health and well-being are our first priority. Our confidential evaluation process is designed to ensure you have a positive donor experience from evaluation to recovery. And as a potential living donor candidate, the cost of your donor evaluation process is completely covered.

Lab and Diagnostic Testing

If the compatibility tests determine that you and your recipient are a good match, we'll ask you to come in for a medical evaluation. Our donor team will guide you and your caregivers through the following tests in the comfort of our state-of-the-art Orlando facility:

  • Twenty-four-hour urine testing
  • Blood tests
  • Chest X-ray
  • Electrocardiogram (EKG)

Meeting Your Living Donor Team

We believe that the more you know about the living donor process, the more positive your donor experience will be. That’s why our team is here to teach you, guide you, empower you. Our patients and their caregivers often say their transplant team becomes like a second family. So it’s only natural that the first step is getting to know each specialist on your donor transplant team. And even though these are one-on-one meetings, your dedicated health team stays closely connected throughout your evaluation process through close communication and innovative technology.

  • Your Social Worker is here to support you and make sure you’re mentally and emotionally prepared for the journey ahead. They'll discuss your decision to donate and connect you with any resources you may need.
  • Your Living Donor Advocate will walk you through what to expect throughout the process, from medical testing to life after living donation.
  • Your Donor Nephrologist and Donor Surgeon will evaluate you separately to make sure you’re a good candidate for donor surgery.

Patient Review Committee

Once you've gotten to know everyone on your transplant team and your test results have been processed, our donor team will review your case from beginning to end. If the team is confident that you're a good candidate for kidney donation, your surgery can be scheduled.

Multiple Listings

You're taking charge of your health, and that means you have every right to be evaluated by different transplant centers. Just let us know if you've already been evaluated by another center so we can avoid duplicate testing and move your evaluation along faster. Our team can help obtain these records. Remember that each center evaluates and accepts patients based on their own criteria, and being listed at one center doesn't guarantee that every center will accept you.

Donor Surgery

What to Expect During Surgery

AdventHealth Transplant Institute is the first and only hospital in the state of Florida to perform laparoscopic kidney removal, also known as donor nephrectomy. Our world-renowned surgeons perform this state-of-the-art procedure by making a single two-inch incision through your belly button. It's the least invasive method and it results in less scarring and faster recovery. The details of your surgery may vary, but most laparoscopic kidney removal takes two to three hours.

Life After Donation

Life After Donation

For living donors, the road to recovery is typically swift. Most donors spend two to three days in the hospital. You'll leave the Transplant Institute armed with detailed instructions, pain medications and a list of phone numbers to contact for any questions or emergencies. More than likely, you'll be able to get back to your normal everyday activities after four to six weeks. And while you may bear a small scar from your surgery, you can wear it with pride knowing you helped save a life.

Staying Connected

We're part of your story and you’re part of ours. In addition to your regularly scheduled donor follow-up visits to our Institute, we keep our team-patient connections going strong through annual events like our annual Patient and Family Picnic and the GR8 to DON8 race.

Blayne's Story

Blayne was a part of a 4 way kidney exchange that saved his life. Thanks to the AdventHealth Transplant Institute Living Donor Program, Blayne was able to take on a second chance at life. Learn more about his story and how the gift of living donation can give the gift of hope, and life.

Paired Exchange Program

If you are on the kidney transplant waiting list, you have various options aside from a deceased donor such as a directed donation or a paired exchange.
At the AdventHealth Transplant Institute, we are here to guide you through your entire journey.

Where Expertise Meets Experience.

Bobby Nibhanupudy, MD

Bobby Nibhanupudy, MD

Medical Director of Abdominal Transplant

"People let us into their lives, we make a huge impact on their lives and their families' lives in general, and I think that's the heart of being a physician."

Ryan W. Day, MD

Ryan W. Day, MD

Abdominal Transplant Surgeon
Headshot of Phillip Wai, MD

Philip Wai, MD

Surgical Director Pancreas Transplant
Michael Angelis, MD

Michael Angelis, MD

Surgical Director of Kidney Transplant

"The high point for me is seeing how we transform patient's lives."

L. Thomas Chin, MD

L. Thomas Chin, MD

Surgical Director of Liver Transplant

"Seeing my first transplant as a student, I watched in amazement. As a transplant surgeon, I remain amazed as we bring hope for a new life for the patient."

Uday Desai, MD

Uday Desai, MD

Medical Director of Pancreas Transplant
Vice Chair, Department of Transplantation

"I'm honored by each patient that entrusts me with their care, and I wake up every day determined to be the best doctor I can be for my patients and their families."

Meet Your Living Donor Team
Patrick Chapin, Living Kidney Donor

"I feel like I've changed a life. Who gets to do that in their lifetime? It's really remarkable."

-Patrick Chapin, Living Kidney Donor

Be A Donor. Become A Hero.

Get inspired by real life donors or become one today.

Living Donor Application See His Story

Hospitality And Hope Under One Roof.

For patients and families who are traveling more than 35 miles to Orlando for treatment, our brand-new Bartch Transplant House provides patient housing and all the support and amenities they need at an affordable cost during their healing journey.

Visit The House