Living Donor Transplant Program

Living Donor Application

The Methodist Dallas Medical Center transplant program is one of the largest and most active multi-organ transplant centers in the southwestern United States.

For over forty years, our reputation for excellence has reflected in our transplant success rates. Many transplant patients who travel from around the world to be treated by our multidisciplinary specialists at Methodist Dallas Medical Center.

If you decide to become a living organ donor, you also become a part of the Methodist Health System family. Our mission is to improve and save lives through compassionate and quality care.

Living Donor Education Video

This brief video explains the benefits and process of living donor transplant at Methodist Dallas.

What is living organ donation?

Living organ donation is when a living person donates an organ or part of an organ for transplantation into another person. Most living donors donate one of their kidneys or a part of their liver.

Living organ donation can be done by a family member, friend, co-worker or even individuals who wish to remain anonymous. This life-changing gift can spare a transplant candidate from a long wait that often decreases their quality of life. Additionally, living organ donation also increases the chances of success for the transplant recipient.

What are the advantages of living donation?

A living donor kidney transplant may offer several advantages compared to receiving a kidney from a deceased donor.

• Better functionality/outcomes. On average, living donor kidney transplants tend to function better and last longer than kidney transplants from deceased patients. A kidney from a living donor generally functions immediately after transplant as it is only out of the body for a very short time.
• Shorter wait times. Waiting for a deceased donor kidney can take years, with living donations that wait time is dramatically shortened which minimizes the amount of time spent on dialysis.
• Decreasing the waitlist. Every transplant candidate receiving a kidney from a living donor reduces the number of patients waiting for a deceased donor kidney.
• Convenience With living donation, extensive testing and evaluations is done to ensure the donor is healthy and providing a high quality kidney. The testing and procedures are able to be scheduled at a mutually convenient time, for the recipient and donor.

Types of living kidney donation

At Methodist, we categorize living donations using these three definitions.

• Living donor related: When a living donor directs their organ donation to a biologically related person.
• Living donor non-related: When the living donor is not related to the recipient. In most cases the donor knows the recipient (friend, coworker, social network). **In some cases, living donor related or non-related donors make an altruistic donation and don’t know (and don’t wish to know) who the recipient is.
• Paired donation: (Also known as a paired exchange or a donor swap) Paired donation is when a living donor is not compatible with their intended transplant candidate, but does match with a transplant candidate of another living donor-candidate set. It may be possible to pair the two sets and swap donors

How to Become a living donor

It’s very important to understand all aspects of the donation process including the risks and emotional, financial and physical considerations involved with living organ donation. Your consent to become a donor is completely voluntary. You have the right to delay or stop the donation process at any time and the reason(s) to do so will be kept confidential.

The transplant team at Methodist Dallas Medical Center will discuss all aspects of living donation so that you make the best decision for YOU.