Living Kidney Donation

Posts Tagged ‘UK Transplant’

Evaluation process to be a Living Kidney Donor – finding a recipient – laparascopic surgery to remove kidney – my recovery

Even though the process was not without its frustrations and last minute blips – I would not hesitate to donate a kidney all over again if I could.
For anyone considering donating a kidney, whether to a relative or friend or to a stranger, the majority of this blog would apply. I have been as honest as I can and not just put a glossy cover on it all.  The events are as they happened and my feelings and thoughts at the time. I hope this blog will enlighten some people as to the process of donating a kidney. It has been a great learning experience for myself as well. Spending so much time with people who have kidney problems and speaking to patients on dialysis or just having had a transplant, and speaking with their families ….. it has opened my eyes even more to the fact more organ donors are needed.  There was nothing in my evaluation or the operation or recovery process that put me off having donated.

Through this journey I have met people on dialysis and they are not living a life, they are surviving a life. Dialysis is life support. Without it they will die – with it they are alive but the quality of life for them and their families is not the sort of life anyone should have to live. They do for years.  Once I knew it was possible to give someone and their family back their life it was just something that, God willing,  I was determined to do.

I also want to thank everyone working at the transplant unit. Everyone was great and made this whole experience good. There was always a smile and more than that, everyone had time for me. I was never made to feel rushed. When it came time for the operation itself I was made to feel very relaxed and the after care was brilliant.

Please scroll down to read my account of being a kidney donor. The first posts are at the bottom of the blog, the latest just below this posting.

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HTA approval given to donate a kidney – Finding a recipient

My transplant coordinator asked if there were any dates I may not be available for the operation and when was best for me. Once I was registered at UK Transplant things could happen quite quickly so it was important I was not registered at until we were ready. I had a couple of dates that I wanted to avoid otherwise a clear calendar. My family were fine for things to proceed also. My details were then registered at UK Transplant.

The recipient is selected for blood type matching, tissue match, age, length of time on waiting list and various other medical / non medical factors, all of which are there to make the system as fair as possible and also to select the best match to reduce any chance of rejection.

Do not think that once you get to the stage of HTA approval that everything will be straightforward.  It may not be. It was not for me. I made the mistake of assuming it would all now be plain sailing but we still had a few hurdles to get over and it was quite an emotional time for me.
Read the rest of this entry – finding a recipient

It has been  some time since I posted re my final evaluation test, the CT Scan (October 2009). Following that I got HTA approval and I donated my kidney.  Here is an account of that and the operation and my recovery.  There is quite a lot to comment on so I will do it in separate posts. It may take a couple of days to fully post.

Independent Assessor Report and HTA (Human Tissue Authority) approval to donate my kidney.

My last and final evaluation test was the CT Scan in October 2009. That all went well and an appointment was made for me to see the Independent Assessor (IA). The IA is totally separate from the medical teams that have dealt with me, he acts as the HTA (Human Tissue Authority) representative and sends a report to the HTA for approval.
read more about the Independent Assessor Interview