The Living Donor Process

Doctor discussing a document with a patient

Evaluation Process

At your first appointment, you will meet the transplant team members. The living donor coordinator will provide you with information on The GW Transplant Institute’s kidney transplant outcomes.

You will be asked to sign a consent form in order to undergo your evaluation, which includes medical testing. This is NOT the consent for surgery — at this point you are only consenting to undergo an evaluation as a potential kidney donor.

Testing

As part of your evaluation, the transplant team will perform a series of tests to help determine if you are a good candidate for living kidney donation.

The following tests may be part of your evaluation:

  • Chest X-ray
  • Electrocardiogram (EKG)
  • Computed tomography (CT) scan
  • Cardiac testing
  • Magnetic resonanceimaging (MRI) scan
  • Arteriogram
  • Cancer screening
  • Skin cancer screening
  • Colonoscopy for those over 50
  • 24-hour urine collection to assess kidney function

For Women:

  • Mammogram
  • Pap smear

For Men:

  • Prostate exam
  • Blood tests to check for:
    • Compatibility with the potential kidney recipient
    • Transmissible infections or diseases
    • Overall health

Once the nephrologist and surgeon review all of your results, they will present your case to the entire kidney transplant team. If the team determines that you are medically suited to donate a kidney, the team will refer you to the Donor Advocacy Committee.