Currently, kidneys from a living donor have a better long-term survival than kidneys from a cadaver donor. Also, cadaveric kidney donation cannot meet the needs of all patients in this country who need a kidney transplant. The waiting time for a cadaveric donation may be two to four years. Kidney donations from living relatives have always been a better option. The Transplant Program at the University of Maryland Medical Center is one of the few centers that provides a less invasive surgery for kidney donors.
Laparoscopic surgery can make donating a kidney to a loved one easier.
The laparoscope contains a miniature camera, and surgeons watch what they are doing on a video monitor. Laparoscopic surgery can mean less pain, no sutures or staples, a shorter hospital stay and a much faster recovery for the donor. Since March 1996, surgeons at the Medical Center have performed more than 100 laparoscopic procedures for kidney donation, more than any other medical center in the world. In all of the cases, the transplanted kidneys were functioning well after surgery. Our transplant team will be happy to arrange for you to meet with people who have donated a kidney.