Living Liver Donor

Every year, the number of people who need a lifesaving liver transplant far exceeds the deceased donor organ supply. However, a healthy living person can donate a portion of their liver to a person with liver failure. Living donation offers those waiting for a transplant an alternative. With a living donor, the recipient’s diseased liver is replaced with the portion of donated liver. Each piece of liver regenerates – the donated piece in the recipient and the original liver in the donor.

At The University of Kansas Health System Center for Transplantation, our living donor liver transplant team is dedicated to guiding donors and recipients through the living donor process.

A living liver donor is a person who donates a portion of their healthy liver to a family member, unrelated friend or even a complete stranger. The donor’s remaining liver regrows to its regular size and capacity within a couple months following the surgery.

Any healthy adult age 18 or older can potentially donate. Living donors will undergo a thorough evaluation at our Center for Transplantation to ensure they are fit for donation. A living donor must also have a dedicated caregiver who is different from the transplant recipient’s caregiver. Recovery after living liver donation is approximately 8-10 weeks. The donor is not able to drive for 6 weeks after surgery and will have restrictions on lifting heavy items, so will need assistance during this time.

If you have questions about being a living donor for liver transplant or would like to learn more about the process, call our living donor coordinator at 913-588-6183.

Learn about the donor evaluation process.

Livers from a living donor typically function longer than those from a deceased donor. A study published in JAMA Surgery in 2022 found that patients on the transplant wait list who received their transplant from a living donor live about 13-17 years longer than those who never receive a transplant. Other advantages of living donor transplants include:

• Better long-term outcomes
• Shorter wait time for a transplant
• Scheduled surgery
• Shorter time for donor liver to be without blood supply

Our liver transplant team will explain the entire process to the living donor, including recovery time and potential financial considerations. Long-term life expectancy and general health of the donor are usually unaffected by the removal of a portion of the liver. However, as with any major surgery, there is risk.

Blood-type matching is required for a successful transplant. If the donor does not have documentation for their blood type, we will check the blood type through lab testing. Living donors and recipients must also be compatible in size and have a good graft-to-recipient ratio, meaning the size of the donor’s liver must be big enough to be shared with the recipient while leaving enough liver for the donor.

Living donation expenses, including evaluation and donation, are billed to the recipient’s insurance. Other testing, such as routine health maintenance, is the potential living donor’s responsibility. Additional expenses may include travel, meals, lodging and time off work. Donor-assistance programs are available, and the team can help with the application process.