What happens next?

Assuming that you and perhaps others in your family are prepared to be a living donor for your loved one, the first thing will be for you to visit the South West Transplant Assessment Clinic where one of the team will give you a full explanation of what it involves and answer any of your questions. It is as well to write down on a piece of paper all the questions you want answers to and make sure you understand what the doctor or nurse says. Don’t be afraid to ask again if you are not sure.

You will have to give a sample of your blood for analysis and for a special test called tissue typing. It is fundamental to the success of a kidney transplant that your tissue type matches as closely as possible the tissue type of your loved one. The closer the match, the less likely it is that your loved one’s body will reject your kidney. If the match is not good, your offer to donate one of your kidneys would have to be withdrawn. If several members of your loved one’s family and friends are willing to be considered for donation, the one chosen will be the one with the tissue type that has the best match. 

You will have a series of tests. Occasionally a number of medical conditions will be uncovered during this process. These may preclude you becoming a donor and may require further treatment as necessary.