Living donors

[GrandmaDylan]

I'm concerned that I might need a transplant sometime in the future. Do many people use living donors, ie family?

[Brett11]

I’m not sure about the UK but here in Australia they only use living donors for transplants for children.

Cheers,

Brett

[Danisleigh]

My son had a transant this year and while we were waiting my husband, sister, mother and brother in law all put their names forward to be tested as living donors. As it happens he only waited 18 days so we didn’t have to go any further. My son is 16 so I am not sure if they only do it when donating to children?

[Barnetaccounts]

I was on the list for a transplant and I had several people come forward to be considered as living donors. Personally this left me with a huge dilemma, whilst I was incredibly honoured that friends and family would be prepared to go through what is undoubtably traumatic surgery, how would I react if something went wrong for them and I received the necessary organ. How could I look their partners or their children in the eye ever again. As things turned out for me due to size issues and other underlying health, none of them were deemed a suitable match. So in answer to your question, yes it happens. The criteria is very strict but there will be a head of live donor transplantation at the transplant centre you are registered with.

Ray

[Hidden]

Hi bridesmum. Because you have cirrhosis I'm assuming it's a liver transplant you think you are going to need? A living donor can only donate part of theirs.

[GrandmaDylan in reply to Hidden]

Yes it's a liver I'm asking about. I thought that the liver can regenerate both for the donor and the recipient. Is this not the case?

[Hidden in reply to GrandmaDylan]

Yes that's why only a part of a liver can be removed from a living donor in order for it to regenerate

[Divg]

My partner is on the list and every time we go to clinic they ask if he's considered a living donor. He's 42 so in the UK they will do living donation to adults if there's a suitable match (there are none in his case).

[AyrshireK]

Live donation is possible for adult recipients providing they are of a size to be able to cope with a split liver. This is decided at transplant assessment and is largely due to size of patient and also the underlying illness - some patients are deemed only able to accept specific types of donor organ (i.e. from a brain deceased donor, from a cardiac deceased donor, from a split deceased liver donation - adult gets largest lobe a child gets smallest or a live donation). Live donation poses a massive risk to the healthy donor so surgeons will always prefer a cadaveric donor organ over a live one if at all possible and the waiting patient has to be on the transplant list awaiting an organ from a deceased donor - live transplant isn't a short cut to transplant it really is normally a reserve option.

The donor goes through a long transplant assessment themselves to make sure they are physically and mentally able to go through the op and then recovery takes as long for them (if not longer) than the recipient.

When my hubby was listed he was deemed suitable for a live liver donor - he is only 5ft 4 and at the time of listing 8 1/2 stone. We were provided with a guidance leaflet from Edinburgh which is the first UK hospital to pioneer live liver transplantation. The guidance is available on line at:- services.nhslothian.scot/sc... It certainly outlines the whole process for live donation.

Hubby didn't want me to get checked as a possible donor because it would have meant me also being out of action for a lengthy period plus there is always that risk with any surgery and what if scenarios came into play.

No doubt live donation has saved lives but it is still as I say a fall back option rather than the norm.

Katie

[GrandmaDylan]

Thanks everyone for the information. X