Nearly 6,400 living donors gave kidneys to another person in 2009, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. Donors undergo rigorous physical and psychological testing prior to surgery and cannot have serious health issues of their own, particularly kidney issues. The availability of living donor kidneys shortens the wait to transplant by about five years and increases survival rates in recipients, the University of Virginia reports. The removal of a kidney, or nephrectomy, is like any major surgery in that it can have side effects. There also are side effects specific to kidney donor surgery.
Surgical Risks
Pain commonly occurs after kidney donor surgery and usually is felt over the incision site. Surgeries done laparoscopically through small incisions cause less postoperative pain than traditional nephrectomy, which requires a 10- to 12-inch incision and sometimes removal of part of a rib, the University of Virginia Health System reports. Persistent numbness over the incision site from cutting of nerves occurs in a small number of people.
Infections in the wound, pneumonia or urinary tract infection can occur after any surgery, UK Healthcare warns. Excessive bleeding rarely occurs after kidney removal, and is usually related to abnormally located blood vessels, according to UK Healthcare.
Increased Risk of Hypertension
People who have just one kidney often experience a rise in blood pressure, called hypertension, after several years, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases states. A study reported in the "New England Journal of Medicine" on January 29, 2009 found that the risk of developing hypertension increased with age and in people with high body mass index.
Pregnancy Risks
While women can get pregnant after kidney donation, pregnancy should be postponed for at least six months after donation, the National Kidney Foundation advises. While pregnancy outcomes following kidney donation are similar to those of non-kidney donors, the risk of high blood pressure and diminished kidney function may contribute to preeclampsia and other problems, according to a 2009 study published in the "American Journal of Transplantion." Therefore, pregnant women with just one kidney require close observation.
Immediate Kidney Function Risks
Kidney function may decrease slightly for a short time after surgery, but within a month, the remaining kidney takes over 60 percent of the removed kidney's function by increasing in size, UK Healthcare states.
Proteinuria
Protein in the urine, or proteinuria, indicates a decrease in kidney function and occurs more frequently in kidney donors, the National Kidney Foundation reports. A specific protein, albumin, was found more frequently in the urine of kidney donors, with the incidence increasing with time, according to the "New England Journal of Medicine" study. Albuminuria was found less frequently in women than men.
Decreased Glomerular Filtration Rate
A decrease in glomerular filtration rate, or GFR, which measures the kidney's effectiveness at removing waste products, was associated with age and body mass index in kidney donors, the "New England Journal of Medicine" study reported.
