Living Unrelated KIDNEY Donors:

While "unrelated" by blood, one of the most motivated groups of living transplant donors are the spouses or partners of those in need.

Spouses now constitute almost 10 percent of all living kidney donors, and with today's more effective immunosuppressive drugs, the prospect that the donated kidney will still be functioning five years after the transplant is about the same as when the kidney comes from a parent or child.

Interestingly, excellent results are also being obtained when the living donor is not "family" in any way, but is a close friend or a co-worker.

While these friends still account for only 5 percent of all living kidney donors, their act of generosity tends to give the recipient a 10 percent better chance of having a functioning organ five years later than would be the case with a cadaveric kidney.

Please see the data tables for more information on the living donor kidney success rates.

Living Unrelated LIVER Donors

Prior to 1998, there were generally only two or three living unrelated liver donations each year -- generally from an adult to a child -- so meaningful data comparing the success of living related liver transplants to cadaver transplants is not available.

But in the past couple of years, spouses and friends have clearly been a significant part of the surge in adult-to-adult living donation liver transplants.

Unfortunately, data on comparative success rates is not yet available.

All information provided in this site is offered for educational purposes only, and it is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your own physician or healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.