I want to be a living liver donor, whats next?
Once you’ve made the decision that you want to be a living liver donor then a series of psychological and medical testing follows to determine if you are in fact an eligible candidate. The first phase of testing includes: • Medical history and physical examination • Blood tests (the blood type must be compatible with the donor, but it does not have to be an exact match) • Chest X-ray and EKG These tests usually require two to three doctor visits. It is preferable that this testing is done at the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver by members of our liver transplant team. However, potential donors from outside of Colorado may undergo this initial phase of testing in their local community, provided their physician is in consult with our transplant team. If these initial tests suggest that you would be a suitable donor, then another series of tests will be done. These include: • Evaluation and discussion of the liver surgery with a transplant surgeon • Psychological evaluation • MRI
