Transplant Types

If you'd like to pursue kidney transplantation as a treatment option, there are three types of transplants to consider. Your transplant team will work with you to determine which option is right for you.

• Deceased donor: An individual from whom at least one solid organ is recovered for the purpose of transplantation after suffering brain or cardiac death. The waiting time for a deceased donor kidney in the San Francisco Bay Area is five to ten years and sometimes longer, as the waiting list continues to grow every year.
• Expanded criteria donor (ECD): A deceased donor over the age of 60. An ECD kidney may be recommended to candidates over age 60 or those with a history of diabetes over the age of 50. The waiting time for an ECD kidney may be shorter.
• Living donor: A person who donates an organ for transplantation. Living donors may be blood relatives or individuals with emotional ties to the transplant candidate. Finding a living donor match dramatically shortens your waiting time, increases long-term transplant kidney and patient survival, and gives you the flexibility of scheduling your date of surgery.