Kidney Transplant Process

If you need a kidney transplant, or are donating one, you want to know that the team by your side is among the best. Downstate's transplant program has pioneered techniques now used around the world.

Living or Deceased Donors Transplants?

When you receive a transplant, it will be from either a living or deceased donor.  Receiving a Living Donor Kidney Transplant implies that a healthy, altruistic, caring individual has stepped up to donate one of their kidneys. This is usually someone you know, who cares for you deeply and is generously donating a kidney specifically to you; but occasionally, community heroes step up bravely to donate to anyone waiting for a kidney out of sheer love for their neighbor. You can receive a Living Donor Kidney Transplant as soon as you and your donor are cleared for surgery; bypassing the long wait times. Receiving a Deceased Donor Kidney Transplant implies that you have been matched on the waitlist with the kidney from someone who has passed away and who’s last wishes were to help someone else through organ donation. The wait times in NY state are amongst the longest in the country. At Downstate, we constantly strive for decreased wait times, increase organ utilization for our patients, and improve access to transplantation for our patients by considering all possible options for every listed patients including Dual kidney transplants (where both kidneys from a single donor are transplanted into you).  

Regardless of the donor type, a kidney transplant promises to restore your health. You'll have more energy, better concentration and cerebral function, and you'll be able to stop going to dialysis hence enjoying a better lifestyle. While you'll still have to watch your diet, you'll be able to eat and drink a wider variety of items.

Living Kidney Donors can live a typical healthy life with just one kidney because prior to donation, we have exhaustively tested them to ensure that, to the best of our knowledge, donating a kidney will not hurt them. You can be a donor candidate as long as you're in good health. Before you offer your consent, we'll work closely with you to make sure you understand all the risks, alternatives and benefits of the procedure.

Dual kidney transplants

Downstate is one of the nation’s leader in utilization of dual kidney transplants from deceased donors. As part of a double kidney transplant, you will receive  a new pair (both) of kidneys from a single donor.

It seems like a paradox, but sometimes, it can be faster to find a pair of kidneys from a matching donor than a single kidney. That's because older kidneys are sometimes considered risky to transplant alone. When used in a pair, though, despite a little longer surgical time, they work quite well.

Dual kidney transplants are a way to expand the pool of available kidneys and shorten the typical wait time for a kidney transplant as well as offer access to transplant to some recipients who may not have the luxury of being able to wait a very long time for the organ.

Downstate performed the first dual kidney transplant in New York State in 1996. Since then, we've become a leading provider of this surgery in the Tri-State area and the nation.

Laparoscopic donor surgery

In this procedure, doctors can remove a kidney from a living donor with just a few small incisions in the abdomen. We performed our first laparoscopic surgery in 2000, among the pioneers in the country.

As a living donor, some of your greatest concerns are likely: 

• How can I help my recipient? 
• How long will I be in the hospital? 
• How much will it hurt? 

Laparoscopic surgery means that our team will use a minimally invasive approach to remove your kidney and that you will likely face only one to two days in the hospital. You can return to work in two to three weeks if you have a desk job and about 6 weeks if you have a more physical role. Many employers now offer 100% paid leaves for those who donate an organ. For those who do not work for such entities, our team can help you navigate some special programs where we can seek reimbursement of loss wages due to organ donation. 

Not a Match to your Recipients? Not a problem! The Downstate Transplant Team has joined national swap programs to enable all our patients to benefit from the miracle of living donor kidney transplantation. Our coordinators will discuss with you all the benefit of participating in a swap program when considering living donation and living donor kidney transplantation.