What are the advantages of living donation over a cadaver kidney?
Transplants performed from living donors have several advantages compared to transplants performed from non-living donors (individuals who have been declared brain dead and their families have made the decision to donate their organs): • Some living donor transplants are done between family members who are genetically similar. A better genetic match lessens the risk of rejection. • A kidney from a living donor usually functions immediately, making it easier to monitor. Some non-living donor kidneys do not function immediately, and as a result, the patient may require dialysis until the kidney starts to function. • Potential donors can be tested ahead of time to find the donor who is most compatible with the recipient. The transplant can take place at a time convenient for both the donor and recipient.
