How long is donor surgery?

[Maddisson]

My living donor wants to know how long her actual surgery will be. Does anyone know? Thank you in advance!!

[LivingDonor2003 NKF Ambassador NKF Peer Mentor]

Lots of variables here like which type of procedure is being done. My laparoscopic procedure was about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. There is also some recovery time after coming out of the OR.

The best thing to do would be to contact the coordinator and ask this question.

Congrats on getting a Donor and a new kidney! Good luck to both of you.

[Maddisson in reply to LivingDonor2003]

Thank you so much!

[marcyc NKF Ambassador NKF Peer Mentor]

I am a living donor as well. Agree with the 1.5 to 2 hour estimate but there can be a lot of variation. Agree that your donor should go to class and call the living donor coordinator with questions.

[Maddisson in reply to marcyc]

Thank you!!

[maryalraines NKF Ambassador]

My donorvwas about the 1-1/2 to 2 hrs

[SoniaBrummer]

My experience was different from the others who have replied so far. Not that it matters much because you are knocked out and have no concept of time. It is a major surgery and took me 4 hours. Depending on the facility you are in, it is also considered a routine surgery. Mine was done with the University of Minnesota Medical Center - and at the time of my surgery in 2009 they were doing the most kidney transplants per year of any facility in the world.

Because mine was done in a teaching hospital, it is possible that mine took longer because there are two of everybody - two surgeons, two of every OR nurse, two anesthesiologist, etc., because there are fellows and med students assigned to your case. It was an interesting experience! I felt lucky that I had that. For example, to meet with two surgeons makes you feel really taken care of. I had my transplant surgeon, and she had a partner - he was already a surgeon in his fellowship to become a transplant surgeon. He did the entire surgery with her supervision, except for the part where they reach in and take your kidney out. She did that.