How to Become a Donor

Donor Eligibility and Evaluation

Prospective donors must be in good health. They don’t need to be Olympians – just healthy. Prospective donors will undergo a medical screening that includes:

• Health history
• Physical exam
• Routine lab tests
• Urinalysis to evaluate kidney function
• Cancer screening
• Chest x-ray

A licensed social worker will also perform a psycho-social evaluation. The psychological exam:

• ensures that potential donors are informed about the risks and benefits of donation,
• assesses one’s ability to cope with major surgery,
• considers the prospective donors motives to donate, and
• confirms that the person is free of undue pressure to donate.

Any healthy person can safely donate a kidney. Common exclusions include:

• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Coronary artery disease
• HIV
• Cancer
• Hepatitis B or C infection
• Kidney function abnormalities

There are many exclusion factors. Specific exclusions may vary from hospital to hospital. Contact local transplant centers to further discuss eligibility.