Living Kidney Donor Program
Learn more about living kidney donation or how to pursue a living kidney transplant.
Living Kidney Donor Program
Learn more about living kidney donation or how to pursue a living kidney transplant.
Living kidney transplantation at UW Medicine
The gift of donating a kidney can save a life. At UW Medicine, we provide expert care for both living kidney donors and transplant recipients, ensuring that patients can receive transplants faster and get back to living their best lives.
Our Living Kidney Donor (LKD) Program is designed to maximize the possibility that our patients will get a living donor kidney transplant, providing them with better outcomes and shorter wait times. The process involves thorough screening, education and support from our multidisciplinary team to ensure that donors are fully informed and prepared for each step.
We are proud members of the National Kidney Registry, the largest national living donor exchange program, which allows us to connect more patients with compatible donors.
Learn more about kidney and pancreas transplants at UW Medicine »
Understanding the different types of donations
There are several ways to donate a kidney, each offering a unique path to help those in need.
Directed donation
When a potential kidney donor's blood type and tissue match well with the person they want to help, they can donate their kidney directly to that person.
This is known as a directed donation, where the donor names a specific person. This process allows the donor to make a life-changing impact on someone they care about by giving them the gift of health.
Non-directed donation
In some cases, a donor may choose to donate their kidney altruistically without a specific recipient in mind.
This is known as a non-directed donation. The kidney is then matched with a compatible recipient. Non-directed donors play a critical role in increasing the overall number of transplants, often helping those who have been waiting a long time for a match. Their impact is compounding; by donating, they remove someone from the waitlist and thus allow for more available kidneys for others waiting.
These donations can also initiate a donor chain, where multiple patients receive life-saving kidneys, thanks to one generous act. By choosing to donate to a stranger, non-directed donors make a profound impact on the lives of others, often turning a single gift into a ripple effect of hope and healing.
Paired kidney exchange
If a kidney donor is not a match with their intended recipient because of differences like age, size, blood type or tissue mismatch, they can still help their recipient get a living donor by donating via paired exchange.
In this program, the donor gives their kidney to someone else and in return, their intended recipient receives a kidney from another donor who is a better match. This way, both patients get the kidney they need, even if the original donor and recipient weren't compatible. See the diagram below for more details.
After a donor and recipient are approved for transplant, they join a private registry that includes other pairs of donors and recipients who aren’t compatible with each other. A computer program then helps match these donors and recipients with others who are a better fit.
We participate in the National Kidney Registry for donor exchange. For more information about donor exchange programs, please visit our FAQ page.
Living Kidney Donor Program FAQ »
Advanced Donation
Advanced donation is when a person chooses to donate first. This is only allowable through the National Kidney Registry (NKR). A person may be an advanced donor for someone currently in need, or to provide a voucher for family members in case a loved one needs a kidney in the future. Advanced donation offers several advantages including a faster wait time for the recipient and easier planning on the donor’s behalf. The donor identifies three weeks in which they would like to donate and NKR guarantees a donation date during that window. After donation, their recipient can be made active to receive a living donor kidney from NKR. Learn more from the National Kidney Registry about advanced donation.
Info for potential living donors
At UW Medical Center, special care is given to our kidney donors, whom we admire for their generosity. All those who wish to donate a kidney are carefully and respectfully evaluated by our team to ensure that it is safe for them to donate.
Prospective donors can learn more about the process through watching our educational video above, reviewing our Living Kidney Donation Overview PDF or visiting our Living Kidney Donor Program FAQ page.
Our award-winning blog, Right as Rain, also features stories about a kidney donor match made on Facebook and living organ donation 101.
To start the process or learn more, call us directly at 206.598.3627 or click on the link below.
Info for potential recipients
Receiving a kidney from a living donor can significantly improve the chances of a successful transplant. Our program is designed to provide recipients with a clear understanding of the process, from finding and matching with a donor to post-transplant care. Prospective recipients can learn more about the benefits of living kidney transplantation and how to find a donor through watching our educational video above or visiting our Living Kidney Donor Program FAQ page.
Additionally, see below on the donor champion program for more insights on how to find your living donor.
You can also explore the inspiring story of Julia and Joanie, whose life-changing kidney transplant highlights the profound impact of living donors, in this Whitman College feature of UW Medicine patients. The UW Medicine Newsroom also recently featured a donor/recipient pair celebrating 50 years since their transplant.
Kidney Donor Champion Program
The UW Medicine Kidney Donor Champion Program empowers friends and family members to advocate on behalf of a loved one in need of a kidney transplant. Champions help by spreading the word about living kidney donation, even if they are not able to donate themselves. Through outreach on social media, emails and personal connections, they raise awareness of the patient’s need and how living donation can save lives. Learn more about becoming a Kidney Donor Champion by reviewing our Kidney Donor Champion Program brochure (PDF).
Our team offers education and resources to help you find a living donor. These include virtual classes as well as writing support and personalized templates. To attend one of these, please call us at 206.598.3627.
As part of our resources, see an example of a successful recipient’s 'big ask' in his quest to find a living donor.
Contact us
Interested in finding out more about our services? Contact us and let us know how we can help.
University of Washington Medical Center – Montlake
Kidney Care & Transplant Program
1959 NE Pacific St
Seattle, WA 98195
Phone: 206.598.3627
Fax: 206.598.8416
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Instagram: @uwmedicinetransplant
Additional resources
- United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS): Data such as the number of people on waiting lists and the number of transplants performed per year.
- Transplant Living: Information about the organ donation experience from UNOS.
- National Kidney Registry: Living donors who are incompatible with their intended recipient can be placed on a national registry to find a compatible recipient, which will help their intended recipient also receive a transplant.
- OrganDonor.gov: U.S. government information on organ and tissue donation and transplantation.
- National Living Donor Assistance Center: Financial assistance for those who want to donate.
- Living Donors Online: A resource from the International Association of Living Organ Donors, Inc.; option to talk with a living donor who has already gone through the donation process.
- American Society of Transplant Surgeons: Educational videos discussing the risks and benefits of living donation.