Risks of donating kidney

DEAR DR ROACH: I am a female, mid-50s in very good health. I’m considering donating a kidney to a friend’s adult son, who has been on dialysis for several months.

I’ve read quite a bit about it, but can you give me your concerns as if I were your good friend? I understand that any surgery can be risky, but it seems like a wonderful way to help someone, using an organ that my body won’t miss and I feel that I really want to help.

ANSWER: It is wisely said that “generous deeds should not be checked by cold counsel,” but were you my good friend, I would still feel the need to tell you the risks of donating a kidney.

Removing a kidney is not a trivial operation, and as you say, any operation has risks. The overall risk of death from a kidney donation is about 1 in 3,000 people in the first 90 days after surgery.

Any major surgery has additional risks, including bleeding, infection, blood clots and pneumonia; however, these risks are relatively small and your being in very good health is a good sign that your risk is low.

People who have only one kidney are at slightly higher risk of developing kidney disease themselves.

That increased risk is estimated to be between 1 in 200 people to 1 in 400 people. Donors also are at higher risk for developing high blood pressure and gout, but again, the risk is small.

You also are likely to have financial costs — even if you don’t have to pay out of pocket for the procedure, you may be paying for transportation, accommodation or suffer lost income or vacation time.

Still, most people who choose to donate an organ do not regret their decision, although some note anxiety or depression, especially if the donated organ fails.

The risks, then, are pretty small, but not zero. You have to balance that against the benefit of helping someone get off dialysis.

It’s not just a better lifestyle for your friend’s son: Transplantation dramatically improves life expectancy, roughly cutting death rates in half.

Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth @med.cornell.edu or send mail to 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.