Apply to Become a Living Liver Donor Requirements for liver donation To donate a portion of your liver to someone you know, you should be: Between the ages of 18 and 55
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At Henry Ford, our doctors perform more liver transplants from living donors than any other Michigan transplant center. Your transplant team is the most experienced in the state and can help determine which option is best for you.
Because the liver can regrow, it is possible to safely receive a portion of the organ from a relative, friend or stranger. There are few risks and many rewards to providing a living donation. Recipients have a better chance of successful transplant with the procedure.
Other risks of liver donation include: 1 Bile leak or infection 2 Wound site infection 3 Pain at the incision 4 Bleeding that requires blood transfusions
Imaging, including chest X-rays, possible abdominal angiogram to assess blood flow to your liver, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) to assess the size of your liver. Possible liver biopsy.
A friend or family member, such as a spouse, parent, sibling, child, nephew or niece. Approximately the same body size or larger than the recipient. The same or compatible blood type as the recipient. In excellent medical and psychological health.
Living donor liver transplantation is a highly specialized procedure. When you come to Henry Ford to donate part of your liver, you benefit from: 1 Transplant expertise: Our Transplant Institute has been at the forefront of living donor liver transplants since performing the first such procedure in Michigan, in 2000. We are the busiest liver transplant program in Michigan, which gives our team exceptional expertise. 2 Outstanding safety: Our priority at Henry Ford is to protect your health while minimizing risks as much as possible. We have a 100 percent survival rate for living liver donors. Nationally, the risk of death is extremely low, at 5 in 1,000.
Directed donation: You select a specific person, usually a relative, loved one or friend, to receive your donated section of liver. Non-directed, or altruistic, donation: Henry Ford, in conjunction with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), arranges to give your donation to someone on the national transplant waitlist.
Directed donation: You select a specific person, usually a relative, loved one or friend, to receive your kidney. Non-directed, or altruistic, donation: Henry Ford, in conjunction with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), arranges for your kidney to be given to someone who is on the national kidney transplant waitlist.
Minimally invasive procedures: We are among an elite group of centers nationwide using minimally invasive robotic-assisted and laparoscopic procedures to surgically remove kidneys from living donors. Benefits of minimally invasive procedures include:#N#Smaller incisions#N#Less scarring#N#Reduced pain#N#Lower risk of infection#N#Faster recovery#N#Quicker return to an active life 1 Smaller incisions 2 Less scarring 3 Reduced pain 4 Lower risk of infection 5 Faster recovery 6 Quicker return to an active life
Financial specialists: You should not have to pay medical expenses related to your kidney donation. Our financial specialists assess the transplant recipient’s health insurance plan to determine coverage. If needed, the recipient may apply for grants to cover any of your unpaid expenses.