Benefits and risks of living organ donation
If you are exploring living donation, it’s important to weigh the possible benefits and risks of donating.
The possible benefits of donating include:
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Knowing you’ve helped someone live a longer life
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Sometimes the screening process can find health problems early so they can be treated.
The possible risks of donating include:
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Medical considerations
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Financial considerations
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Emotional and social considerations
These risks are described below.
Medical considerations of organ donation
What are the risks during surgery?
Very rare risks may include:
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Bleeding
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Injury to nearby organs
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Problems from the anesthesia (medicines to make someone unconscious and unable to feel pain during surgery) such as an allergic reaction
What are the risks after surgery?
Right after surgery, donors may have some minor, short-term discomfort, such as:
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Pain and discomfort
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Bloating
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Nausea (feeling sick to your stomach)
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Feeling tired and weak
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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)
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Scars
Very few donors have very rare, more serious problems from surgery, including:
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Problems from being put to sleep, such as confusion after surgery, pneumonia (lung infection), stroke, or heart attack
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Infection
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Fever
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Bleeding and blood clots
These more serious problems are rare. And the risk of death is about 0.1% (about 1 in 1,000 donors).
What are the risks during recovery?
During recovery, donors may feel tired for a few weeks. While the stitches from the surgery heal, they might feel:
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Tenderness
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Itching
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Pain
From the gas the surgeon uses to see better during the surgery, donors may:
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Feel discomfort
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Have shoulder pain — gas left in the body can move up to the shoulder
Other very rare, more serious problems may include:
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Infection
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Pneumonia (lung infection)
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Blood clots
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Intestinal problems (such as a blockage)
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Bile duct problems — bile is a thick fluid made by the liver that helps with digestion. After surgery, bile can leak from where surgeons cut the bile duct, which is the tube that connects the liver to the gallbladder, where bile is stored. Or, the bile duct can become narrowed or blocked.
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Liver failure, and if this happens, the donor will get priority on the liver transplant waitlist to get a deceased donor liver
What are the risks after recovery?
With any major surgery there are always risks and problems to consider. Even though the liver regrows, liver donors should always follow their transplant doctor’s recommendations for lifestyle changes to lower the chance of any potential problems.