Living with one kidney: The difference
Our care and support for kidney donors doesn’t stop after surgery. We help you live safely and successfully with one kidney through our:
- Expert Team: Our Team always keeps donor health in priority. We understand donor risks and work on to improve surgical safety and hence improve long-term outcomes.
- Donor-focused care: We place donors at the center of everything we do. We strive to understand and meet donors’ needs throughout the donation process and into the future.
- Thorough evaluation: Before you can donate a kidney, we assess your physical, social and mental health. Ensuring you’re in best of your health before donation reduces your risk of problems during surgery, recovery and beyond.
- Support services: Our program connects potential donors with past donors for guidance and emotional support. We also offer monthly kidney transplant support group meetings for pre- and post-transplant patients, living donors and caregivers.
- Long-term follow-up: We’re always there for follow-up care and assistance for as long as you need us. You can reach us through our 24/7 patient helpline in contact us box.
Life after kidney donation: Staying healthy
After you donate a kidney, remaining kidney increases in size and function. As part of your long-term follow-up care, you need to maintain your good health by:
- Drinking plenty of water
- Eating a healthy diet
- Exercising regularly
- Maintaining a healthy weight
In addition to these steps, your doctor will recommend that you avoid
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): These are over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen, diclofenac etc. NSAIDs can damage your kidney, so it’s best to avoid them. Talk to your doctor about pain relievers that are safe for you.
- Contact sports: Sports such as football, hockey, boxing, soccer, martial arts and wrestling could injure your kidney, even if you wear protective equipment. Talk to your doctor about how to stay safe if you want to play a contact sport.
- High Sugar/ Salt/ Animal Protein: This kind of diet is not good for kidney in long term as they can cause Diabetes and High Blood Pressure. You are asked to modify your diet accordingly.
- Smoking: Kidneys are damaged slowly with smoking by many different mechanisms and so all donors are asked to quit smoking before donation.
Getting pregnant after kidney donation
Before donation, your evaluation team will discuss your risks if you are pregnant when donating. Kidney donors may have a small increased risk of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia, so you should be monitored closely during pregnancy. After donation, talk to your surgical team, obstetrician or gynaecologist if you are planning a pregnancy.
Routine medical care
Regular check-ups with your primary care provider are important to monitor your kidney and overall health. Tests your doctor will use to check your kidney function include:
- Blood pressure: This test measures the pressure in your blood vessels. Increased blood pressure can damage your kidneys, if not treated.
- Blood Sugar: This test measures sugar level in your blood. Increased blood sugar can damage your kidneys, if not treated.
- Glomerular filtration rate (GFR): This is a measure of how well your kidneys are filtering blood.
- Urine protein test: This test looks for protein in the urine. Usually, protein stays in the blood. When a kidney is damaged, proteins will escape into the urine.
Recommended regular tests after surgery
- CBC, KFT, Urine Re after 3 months of Donor Surgery
- CBC, KFT, RBS, HBA1C, Urine Re, Urine ACR, USG Whole Abdomen at 1 year after surgery and then yearly
Kidney failure after donation
The risk of kidney failure after donation is very low. If this does happen, regular follow up and timely medications keep you healthy. You will receive prioritisation for a living/ deceased donor kidney transplant.
Kidney donation follow-up care
You follow up with our living kidney donor team after surgery:
- 1 week
- 4 weeks
- 3 months
- 1 year
- 6 monthly or yearly after one year
For convenience, donors can attend most of these appointments via outreach OPD/ Video consultation (telemedicine).
Patient perspectives of living with one kidney
To better understand living donation and what life is like living with one kidney, listen our donor stories on YouTube.
Get An Expert Consultation
* Kidney Transplant
* Robotic Kidney Transplant
* SWAP Kidney Transplant
* ABO Incompatible Transplant
* AV Fistula
* CAPD Cather Insertion
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