Living Kidney Donor Advanced Donation

Why donate a kidney in advance?

Living kidney donation is an incredible gift to someone you care about who is living with end-stage kidney disease. However, a living donor's timeline may not align with the intended recipient's need for a kidney. Advanced kidney donation eases concerns about future transplants for friends or loved ones.

When you choose advanced kidney donation, you donate a kidney before your loved one needs surgery. You can schedule the donation procedure when it is convenient for you. Your kidney is donated to someone on the waitlist. Then, your loved one receives a voucher for a kidney.

A voucher system ensures your intended recipient is prioritized on the waitlist and receives a kidney from a different donor later. We also welcome donors who prefer to help an unknown patient in need.

Benefits of the advanced kidney donation voucher system

Living kidney donation has significant benefits for the recipient. Advanced donation offers additional options and flexibility.

Benefits of the voucher system include:

• Better outcomes. Living donor kidneys generally work better, last longer and have fewer complications than deceased donor kidneys.
• Flexible timing. Both you and your intended recipient have more flexibility in the timing of your procedures.
• More matching opportunities. With a voucher, your intended recipient can access a larger pool of donors, improving the odds of a good match.
• Priority access to the donor pool. With your advanced donation, your recipient gets priority access to the pool of living donor kidneys. That means your loved one won't face delays when they need a kidney.
• You help someone now. Your donated kidney goes to someone who needs it now while still securing a future kidney for your loved one.
• Protect your family's future. You can donate a kidney now and receive a voucher for a family member who doesn't currently need a kidney but may require it in the future.

Convenience of advanced donation

In our advanced donation kidney transplant program, you give a kidney before your loved one needs surgery. You can schedule your donation at a time that is most convenient for you, and a patient on the waitlist will receive your kidney.

Advanced donation makes organ donation and transplant more convenient for you and your loved one:

• You can donate when you're healthy. With advanced donation, you can donate a kidney when you're in good health. This offers an advantage for donors seeking to help a child who will need a transplant in the future.
• You have time to recover. If you're the caregiver for the kidney recipient, donating in advance gives you time to heal. You'll be recovered and ready to care for your loved one after their transplant.
• Your loved one will have access to a second kidney, if needed. Recipients who receive a kidney in childhood may need a second transplant in the future. With advanced donation, you can ensure your loved one has more than one voucher.

Protection and care for living donors

We are committed to protecting living donors. UCSF Health was the first transplant program in the West to provide Donor Shield, a program backed by the National Kidney Registry. This program supports living kidney donors by reimbursing for lost wages, travel and lodging. Living donors also receive insurance, legal support and financial coverage for unexpected complications.

We provide comprehensive care to organ donors before, during and after donation. You are in the hands of one of the most experienced transplant programs in the nation.