Comparing living kidney and liver donation
Living organ donation is when a person donates an organ or part of an organ while they are alive to someone in need.
There is currently an organ shortage. Kidneys are the organs most frequently needed, followed by livers. In 2026:
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Over 90,000 people are waiting for a kidney transplant.
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Over 9,000 people are waiting for a liver transplant.
Both of these organs can be donated by living donors to save someone’s life. Living organ donation can:
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Lower someone’s wait time for an organ transplant
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Provide typically longer-lasting and quicker working transplants compared to organs from deceased donors
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For kidney, prevent the need for dialysis for someone with kidney disease, or shorten the time they need dialysis
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For liver, lower the number of people who die while waiting for a deceased donor transplant
How do living kidney and liver donation compare?
Living donor evaluation and surgery
Kidney | Liver | |
|---|---|---|
Does the person in need of an organ transplant have other options than getting a living donor transplant? | Yes. The person can start dialysis, where a machine filters their blood to remove toxins when their kidney doesn’t work. This process is life-saving but can cause heart and other health problems over many years. They can also wait for a kidney from a deceased donor, which can take many years. | Yes. The person can wait for a liver from a deceased donor. The wait can take anywhere from less than 30 days to more than 5 years, with the average being about 11 months (for adults). |
How is a living donor transplant better than a deceased donor transplant? | A person in need of a transplant can get a kidney sooner, reducing future health problems from dialysis, and can have surgery when they feel most healthy, helping the transplant to be more successful. A living donor kidney also lasts longer (about 15-20 years) than a deceased donor kidney (10-15 years). | A person in need of a transplant can get a liver donation sooner, and this can be a lifesaving alternative to a deceased donor transplant. Because living donations can be scheduled, the surgery can take place when the recipient is in optimal health. However, because the surgery is complex, living and deceased donor liver transplants have very similar long-term outcomes, with some studies showing a slight advantage for living donor transplants. |
How long does the process of donor evaluation, surgery, and recovery take? | The total time can be anywhere from 3 months to 1 year or more. | The total time can be anywhere from several months to 1 year or more. In an emergency, it can happen faster than that, which can shorten the overall process. |
What do living donors actually donate? | Donors donate 1 of their 2 kidneys. The kidney that stays in the donor grows in size to make up for the work that the donated kidney was doing. | Donors donate a part of their liver. Remaining liver cells grow or refresh until their liver has grown back to its original size. |
How does it work to match a donor and recipient? | The health care team compares blood types and other lab tests between the donor and recipient. | The health care team compares blood types and other lab tests between the donor and recipient. They also look at the size of the donor’s and recipient’s livers and the location of its blood vessels to make sure that the recipient’s body will accept the new organ. |
What is donation surgery like? | It is often a minimally-invasive laparoscopic surgery, in which surgeons:
Living kidney donation surgery can take 3-4 hours. | The goal is often to do minimally-invasive laparoscopic surgery. But open surgery is more common, in which surgeons:
Living liver donation surgery can take 6-8 hours. |
What are the risks of surgery? | Every surgery has risks. Possible minor risks during or right after living kidney donation surgery include:
| Similar risks as kidney donation. |
Does the person in need of an organ transplant have other options than getting a living donor transplant?
Kidney
Yes. The person can start dialysis, where a machine filters their blood to remove toxins when their kidney doesn’t work. This process is life-saving but can cause heart and other health problems over many years. They can also wait for a kidney from a deceased donor, which can take many years.
Liver
Yes. The person can wait for a liver from a deceased donor. The wait can take anywhere from less than 30 days to more than 5 years, with the average being about 11 months (for adults).
How is a living donor transplant better than a deceased donor transplant?
Kidney
A person in need of a transplant can get a kidney sooner, reducing future health problems from dialysis, and can have surgery when they feel most healthy, helping the transplant to be more successful.
A living donor kidney also lasts longer (about 15-20 years) than a deceased donor kidney (10-15 years).
Liver
A person in need of a transplant can get a liver donation sooner, and this can be a lifesaving alternative to a deceased donor transplant.
Because living donations can be scheduled, the surgery can take place when the recipient is in optimal health.
However, because the surgery is complex, living and deceased donor liver transplants have very similar long-term outcomes, with some studies showing a slight advantage for living donor transplants.
How long does the process of donor evaluation, surgery, and recovery take?
Kidney
The total time can be anywhere from 3 months to 1 year or more.
Liver
The total time can be anywhere from several months to 1 year or more. In an emergency, it can happen faster than that, which can shorten the overall process.
What do living donors actually donate?
Kidney
Donors donate 1 of their 2 kidneys. The kidney that stays in the donor grows in size to make up for the work that the donated kidney was doing.
Liver
Donors donate a part of their liver. Remaining liver cells grow or refresh until their liver has grown back to its original size.
How does it work to match a donor and recipient?
Kidney
The health care team compares blood types and other lab tests between the donor and recipient.
Liver
The health care team compares blood types and other lab tests between the donor and recipient. They also look at the size of the donor’s and recipient’s livers and the location of its blood vessels to make sure that the recipient’s body will accept the new organ.
What is donation surgery like?
Kidney
It is often a minimally-invasive laparoscopic surgery, in which surgeons:
Make small cuts in a donor’s belly
Put a wand-like camera in the cuts so they can see the kidney
Take the kidney out through a small cut
Close the cuts with stitches.
Living kidney donation surgery can take 3-4 hours.
Liver
The goal is often to do minimally-invasive laparoscopic surgery. But open surgery is more common, in which surgeons:
Make a large cut in a donor’s belly
Remove part of their liver, carefully cutting the blood vessels and other tissues that attach the liver
Close the cut with stitches.
Living liver donation surgery can take 6-8 hours.
What are the risks of surgery?
Kidney
Every surgery has risks. Possible minor risks during or right after living kidney donation surgery include:
Bloating
Nausea (feeling sick to your stomach)
Scars and pain
Feeling tired and weak
Hernia (a bulge or lump when part of an organ or tissue in the body pushes through an opening or weak spot in a muscle wall)
Liver
Similar risks as kidney donation.
Recovery from surgery
Title | Kidney | Liver |
|---|---|---|
How long is the hospital stay for donation surgery and recovery? | Usually 1-2 days | Usually about 1 week |
How long until donors can resume normal activities? | Most donors return to normal activity 4-6 weeks after speaking with their doctor. Donors should always speak with their transplant doctor about the right time to return to their activities. | Most donors return to normal activity 8-12 weeks after speaking with their doctor. Donors should always speak with their transplant doctor about the right time to return to their activities. |
How well does the remaining organ work? | People can live long, healthy lives with 1 kidney. Over the 3-6 months after surgery, the donor’s remaining kidney will get bigger and do the work of both kidneys. | A donor’s liver begins to grow back (regenerate) right away after surgery. It will return to full size in 2-3 months. Even while the liver regrows, the part that is left can make up for the work that the full liver normally does. |
Do people regret donating afterwards? | Research shows that most kidney donors (over 90%) do not regret their decision to donate, especially those who feel informed and well supported. | Research shows that most liver donors (97%) do not regret their decision to donate, especially those who were well supported. In the first year after donation, some people report anxious feelings and pain, but they still do not regret their decision. |
How long is the hospital stay for donation surgery and recovery?
Kidney
Usually 1-2 days
Liver
Usually about 1 week
How long until donors can resume normal activities?
Kidney
Most donors return to normal activity 4-6 weeks after speaking with their doctor. Donors should always speak with their transplant doctor about the right time to return to their activities.
Liver
Most donors return to normal activity 8-12 weeks after speaking with their doctor. Donors should always speak with their transplant doctor about the right time to return to their activities.
How well does the remaining organ work?
Kidney
People can live long, healthy lives with 1 kidney.
Over the 3-6 months after surgery, the donor’s remaining kidney will get bigger and do the work of both kidneys.
Liver
A donor’s liver begins to grow back (regenerate) right away after surgery. It will return to full size in 2-3 months. Even while the liver regrows, the part that is left can make up for the work that the full liver normally does.
Do people regret donating afterwards?
Kidney
Research shows that most kidney donors (over 90%) do not regret their decision to donate, especially those who feel informed and well supported.
Liver
Research shows that most liver donors (97%) do not regret their decision to donate, especially those who were well supported. In the first year after donation, some people report anxious feelings and pain, but they still do not regret their decision.
Costs
Kidney | Liver | |
|---|---|---|
Are there costs to donating? | Living donors do not have to pay for medical costs because the recipient’s insurance covers these costs. A donor may have lost wages from time off work or other costs related to donating. However, there are programs to help cover these costs. | Same cost information as kidney donation. |
Are there costs to donating?
Kidney
Living donors do not have to pay for medical costs because the recipient’s insurance covers these costs.
A donor may have lost wages from time off work or other costs related to donating. However, there are programs to help cover these costs.
Liver
Same cost information as kidney donation.
How organ donation helps the recipient
Kidney | Liver | |
|---|---|---|
How long does a functioning transplant work? | 90% of living donor kidneys still work after 5 years, compared to 82% of deceased donor kidneys. | 82% of living donor livers still work after 5 years, compared to 78% of deceased donor livers. |
How much does a transplant help the recipient? | Living kidney donation can prevent—or shorten—the need for dialysis. Research has shown that people who get living donor kidneys have longer-lasting and quicker working transplants than those who get deceased donor kidneys. People with transplants live longer and feel better than people waiting for a kidney. | Living liver donation provides a life-saving organ transplant for someone with liver disease or liver cancer. People who get living donor livers have as good or better outcomes than those who get deceased donor livers. |
How long does a functioning transplant work?
Kidney
90% of living donor kidneys still work after 5 years, compared to 82% of deceased donor kidneys.
Liver
82% of living donor livers still work after 5 years, compared to 78% of deceased donor livers.
How much does a transplant help the recipient?
Kidney
Living kidney donation can prevent—or shorten—the need for dialysis.
Research has shown that people who get living donor kidneys have longer-lasting and quicker working transplants than those who get deceased donor kidneys.
People with transplants live longer and feel better than people waiting for a kidney.
Liver
Living liver donation provides a life-saving organ transplant for someone with liver disease or liver cancer.
People who get living donor livers have as good or better outcomes than those who get deceased donor livers.