How You Can Qualify to Be a Living Kidney Donor

What you need to know about donating a kidney

A kidney transplant, which helps patients with kidney disease, including advanced and end-stage kidney disease, is the most common organ transplant performed in the United States. The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) says more than 90% of all living organ donation involves a kidney. 

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) reports that there were 27,759 total kidney transplants in 2024, including 6,418 that were made possible because of living organ donors. 

“Kidney donation is a safe and minimally invasive procedure,” says Thin Thin Maw, MD, a transplant nephrologist and medical director of kidney transplant at the USC Living-Donor Kidney Transplant Program, part of the USC Transplant Institute and Keck Medicine of USC. 

“Your loved one can also have a better and longer life,” Dr. Maw adds. A kidney transplant from a living donor can last up to 15 to 20 years, while a kidney from a deceased donor typically lasts eight to 12 years. In addition, living organ donation allows the recipient to undergo the transplant sooner. 

Living kidney donation also benefits more than just the donor’s loved one. It removes the recipient from the national waiting list — allowing someone else to receive an organ they desperately need. According to UNOS, about 90,000 people are currently waiting for a new kidney. 

Here’s what to know about becoming a kidney donor. 

What does psychological evaluation of living kidney donors entail? 

At the USC Living-Donor Kidney Transplant Program, the process begins with an initial psychological evaluation conducted by a living donor advocate. Their role is to ensure that the potential donor is voluntarily initiating this process and that they understand the possible long-term risks. 

“The living donor advocate will speak with the donor to make sure there hasn’t been any coercion or pressure to donate,” Dr. Maw says. 

She emphasizes that psychological assessments are an ongoing process. Living donor advocates, social workers and the medical team will have multiple discussions with the donor to ensure they want to proceed.  

“I always interview a potential donor one-on-one, without their families present,” Dr. Maw says. “They’re better able to relax and talk to me about their motivation for donating. And I make sure they know they can stop at any time if they change their minds.” 

What medical tests are done? 

After the initial psychological examination, the next step involves medical screenings. Potential donors will undergo a comprehensive physical evaluation involving blood tests, urine analysis, cancer screenings, blood pressure monitoring and imaging tests. Dr. Maw says a CT scan is also performed to assess the potential donor’s anatomy, including the size of their kidneys and the structure of their blood vessels.  

“Some of the donors have a complex anatomy of multiple blood vessels, which makes it more surgically challenging to remove their kidney and then transplant it,” Dr. Maw explains.  

What disqualifies someone from donating a kidney? 

To be eligible to donate, a potential donor must have adequate kidney function and no major health issues. Dr. Maw says conditions including heart disease, severe lung disease and active cancer are automatic disqualifiers. 

Carrying excess weight is also a disqualifier, as obesity increases the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure, which are the leading causes of kidney failure. Transplant teams will not accept a kidney from someone who is at a higher risk of developing kidney failure in the future. 

However, as long as the potential donor doesn’t have other comorbidities, Keck Medicine will work with them to achieve a healthier weight so they can become eligible to donate.  

Through Keck Medicine’s Donate Well Program, participants receive access to nutritional experts, lifestyle redesign coaching with an occupational therapist and fitness support. Once a participant becomes donor, the team continues to monitor them for two years to encourage a permanent healthy lifestyle. 

Is there an age limit for kidney donation? 

Living organ donors must be at least 18 years old. Some transplant centers may require donors to be 21. 

There is no official maximum age to donate a kidney. The data shows the number of older living donors is increasing. According to OPTN, there were 476 living donors over age 65 in 2024, which was a 14.2% increase from 2023. 

Dr. Maw says donation depends entirely on the health of the individual. “I had a donor who was 67 when he gave a kidney to his son. A year after the procedure, he then did a bike ride across the country. It was amazing.” 

Do you get paid to be a living kidney donor? 

Donors do not receive direct payment for gifting their kidney. However, the recipient’s health insurance typically covers all medical costs related to the donation. That includes the cost of screenings, the procedure, hospital stay and follow-up care. 

Dr. Maw says Keck Medicine also helps patients connect with the National Living Donor Assistance Center. The program has resources to help eligible donors with additional costs, such as lost wages from time off work, travel expenses and dependent care costs.  

What can a living kidney donor expect after surgery? 

Kidney donation is typically performed using laparoscopic or robotic surgery techniques, which are minimally invasive, and the donor can usually go home after a one- or two-night stay in the hospital. They can expect to feel some pain after surgery, but Dr. Maw says symptoms should ease within a few days to a couple of weeks.  

Most donors are fully recovered and back to their regular routines after three months. Donors also undergo follow-up screenings at six, 12 and 24 months post-surgery to check kidney function. 

Donating a kidney does not impact the donor’s life expectancy. According to the National Kidney Foundation, less than 1% of kidney donors end up needing a kidney transplant themselves in the future. 

Dr. Maw emphasizes the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle after donation, including a balanced diet and regular exercise, to prevent metabolic syndromes. 

“A lot of donors are more health-conscious after donation,” she says. “So not only are they helping someone else by donating their kidney, I find they also end up helping themselves live better.”  

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