A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure in which a healthy kidney from a living-related donor or a deceased donor is transplanted into someone with failing kidneys.
Following are the types of kidney transplants:
Deceased donor
A deceased donor is someone who has consented to donating his or her organs upon death during their life. In the event in which the deceased donor's wishes are unknown, the family members may consent to organ donation. Deceased donors are brain-dead; with no life-sustaining activities in the brain. The diagnosis is made by a specialized team of physicians who conduct extremely precise testing that confirms the brain-death diagnosis.
Living-related donor
A living-related donor is a person who is a blood relative of the potential recipient.
- Relatives up to the 4th degree may be accepted for living donation.
- Currently, un-related donors are not accepted and proof of relationship will be required at time of assessment in order to proceed to donation.
- The living donor has a very special role and must be genuinely willing to donate. They cannot receive gifts of any kind, payment or favors in return for their donation. The donor must also be free from any pressure to donate from any party. This is to protect the donor's best interests and ensure their safety.
Worldwide, it is recognized as illegal and a crime for anyone to receive payments or gifts in exchange for an organ. It is also a crime to pressure or coerce someone to donate their organs. This is applicable to living donors and deceased donors and their family members.