Live Kidney Donation Aotearoa

Live donor kidney transplant

1. Talk to your kidney doctor (specialist) about live donor kidney transplantation. If this is an option for you, decide if this is something you would like to do.
2. Talk to your family and friends about the fact that you need a new kidney and see if any of them offer to donate a kidney to you
3. Think about any offers you get and then decide whether you want to go ahead
4. Remember, a live donor kidney transplant is often the best treatment option for someone with end-stage kidney disease
5. You and your potential donor(s) will need to have lots of tests to see if you are a suitable match. If you have more than one potential donor, the transplant team will advise you on the best match.
   If you have no matching donor, there are options to help your donor to still donate and you to still receive a kidney. One of these options is to join the Kidney Exchange programme
6. There is more information about the Kidney Exchange programme in this online guide
7. Have the transplant operation. You and the donor will usually have your operations in the same hospital and at the same time.

Live donor kidney transplant

Your transplant co-ordinator will talk to you about:

1. how you get evaluated for a transplant
2. how you get selected for a transplant (remember there is information earlier in the book)
3. the advantages and disadvantages of live and deceased donor transplants
4. the need for you to have monthly blood tests
5. your operation
6. what will happen in hospital after your operation
7. the medicines you will need to take after the operation and the side e ects of those medicines
8. follow up in the transplant clinic.