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Living donor kidney surgery: Top-quality care at Sentara

Living kidney donation is an extraordinary act of generosity that can change another person’s life. At Sentara, we are committed to making the donation process as safe, smooth, and supportive as possible. This section explains what you can expect before, during and after surgery so you feel prepared and confident every step of the way. You’ll also receive a copy of our patient guide, which provides more detailed information on the process.

Our advanced facilities and dedicated transplant team make it easy to choose Sentara for your donor surgery. We offer:

  • Experience: Sentara is one of the most active kidney transplant centers in Virginia. 
  • In-depth screening and testing: We conduct a thorough medical evaluation to ensure you are healthy enough to donate a kidney and that your recipient will receive the healthiest possible organ.
  • Minimally invasive methods: In most cases, we use a laparoscopic surgical technique to remove your kidney. Your surgeon makes 3-4 small incisions in your abdomen. This minimally invasive surgical approach helps you recover faster with less pain and discomfort.
  • Meticulous follow-up care: You will work with a dedicated team of kidney transplant specialists who treat your recovery and healing as their top priority. Our goal is for you to return to doing the things you love as quickly as possible.

Your living donation team

This is a nurse who works directly with each donor and coordinates their care and support. The coordinator is available to answer any questions you have about the evaluation and provide education about the process. The transplant coordinator will review your clinical testing and collaborate with the physicians to ensure a safe and well-informed donation process.
The social worker will talk with you to determine the family, friends, and support systems that you have to assist you through the donation process and recuperation period after surgery. They will also discuss issues related to absence from work, lost wages, travel expenses, and childcare expenses that you may incur. The social worker will also determine if any potential psychological problems would interfere with your decision to consent for living donation.
The role and responsibility of the Donor Advocate is to provide a neutral person for you to utilize if you have questions or concerns regarding donation and to advocate for the living donor’s rights and wishes by ensuring the donor has been afforded and given “informed consent.”
A transplant nephrologist is a physician specializing in the care of both donors and recipients. They will review all of the medical testing completed during the evaluation and obtain information about the donor’s health history and the family health history. It is the job of the Nephrologist to give medical clearance for the donation.
The donor surgeon is a doctor who performs the removal of the donor’s kidney. The surgeon meets with the donor before surgery, reviews the donor evaluation, and provides surgical clearance for the donation. The surgeon also sees the donor postoperatively to ensure a safe recovery.
A medical professional licensed to dispense prescription drugs. They will consult with your doctor about medications and dosages that are best for you, help you understand your medications, explain what side effects you may experience, and assist you in how to take your medication directly.
A licensed professional trained in the science of nutrition. They will be available to assist in managing your nutrition after donation, help you control your weight, develop special diets for medical conditions, and recommend tests for any dietary deficiencies.
A specially trained professional who helps patients and families deal with the financial stresses of donation and transplantation. They are available to answer any questions or address any bills you may receive throughout this process.

Preparing for kidney donor transplant surgery

Once all of your tests and medical evaluations are done and you are cleared as a kidney donor, we will schedule a surgery date that is convenient for you-and for your recipient, too, if it is someone you know. You may have to wait several weeks for your surgery, depending on how many other procedures have already been scheduled.

  • Blood tests: You will need to come into a Sentara facility for preoperative blood testing a few days before your surgery. These tests are to ensure that your health status has not changed.
  • Cross-match test: We will repeat this test using your blood and your recipient’s blood (you have taken this test at least once before) to ensure you are still compatible for the kidney transplant.
  • Dietary restrictions: Your transplant coordinator will remind you not to eat or drink anything after midnight on the night before surgery. You will be admitted to Sentara’s Norfolk General Hospital the morning of your scheduled surgery. The transplant coordinator will keep you updated about any final details.

Your transplant urologist will use one of two types of surgical procedures to remove your donated kidney: minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery or open nephrectomy surgery. The anatomy of your kidneys determines which type of surgery will work best.

For both procedures, you will be under general anesthesia, which means you will be "asleep" during the operation and will feel no pain.

  • Minimally invasive laparoscopic method: In most cases, we can use this procedure, which requires 3-4 small, puncture incisions on the abdomen to insert a miniature camera and surgical instruments. In addition, the surgeon makes a 4-inch incision in your lower abdomen to remove your kidney. Laparoscopic surgery generally causes very few after-surgery side effects.
  • Open nephrectomy surgery: This procedure involves your surgeon removing your kidney through a 6-8-inch incision on your upper abdomen and side.

You will stay in the recovery room for several hours so our medical team can closely observe you while you recover from being under anesthesia. Each living kidney donor experience is unique, and your doctor will create a recovery and follow-up plan just for you. 

You can generally expect:

  • Hospital stay: Plan to be in the hospital 3-5 days. You will be cared for in a specialized section of Sentara Norfolk General Hospital that focuses on patients recovering from recent surgery.
  • Side effects: As with all major surgical procedures, you will feel some pain afterward. Your post-surgical team will help control that with medications. You may also experience nausea, vomiting and bloating.
  • Possible complications: These may include infection, bleeding, pneumonia, blood clots or allergic reactions to medications. However, all of these complications are rare and are possible with any major operation, not just a kidney donation. 
  • After you leave the hospital: The healing process from kidney donation surgery is a gradual one, and it is a bit different for everyone. 
  • Medical follow-up: About 4 weeks after surgery, you will go in for a follow-up exam with the urologist who performed your surgery. You will have another appointment after 6 months. Once you have passed the 6-month mark, we recommend consulting your regular physician.

Interested in becoming a living kidney donor?

Talk to our living kidney donor coordinator. Fill out the living kidney donor interest form or call us at 757-388-3906.

Living kidney donor interest form