The purpose of this study was to explore the question: What is the process of experiencing living kidney transplant by the spouse of a living kidney donor? This issue is becoming more and more significant as the studies had noted that the best treatment of end-stage renal disease includes avoiding dialysis with pre-emptive transplantation with living donors (Abramowicz et al., 2016; Bozkurt et al., 2013; Francis et al., 2016; Kohei et al., 2014; Nakamura et al., 2015; Sánchez-Escuredo et al., 2015) and the number of living kidney organ donations as of November 26, 2017, there were 15,513 non-biological spouse living kidney donors and 560 non-biological life partner kidney donors on the OPTN database (Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network [OPTN], 2017). Because the attitudes of donor family members, especially spouses, may affect the decision to donate and satisfaction with recovery from donation surgery, it is critical to know how the spouses of living kidney donors view kidney donation. This knowledge may be instrumental in promoting a positive post-transplant family dynamic along with donor recovery and wellness. Eleven male spouses of living kidney organ donors in Eastern North Carolina discussed their experiences of the living kidney organ donation process through open-ended interviews reaching data saturation. A substantive theory that describes four phases of living kidney donation was generated utilizing an exploratory field design based on a modification of grounded theory methodology (Glaser & Straus, 1967; 2017). Conceptualized descriptions of the experiences are a linear process separated into four phases placed into categories and imagined as inherent interactions and patterns of spousal relationships with living kidney donors throughout the donation process: getting started, two kidneys – take one, being a team player, and solving the problem. The central theme uncovered, honoring marital vows, was recognized as a process in which the husband of the living kidney donor must fully embrace their marriage vows to steer his wife and family through the donation process efficiently. The core variable described attitudes, behaviors, and measures that brought husbands the self-assurance to rise above, and skillfully manipulate the tribulations and unease they faced as the husbands of living kidney donors. The living donation process and its four phases focused on the traditional marital vows for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, and in sickness and in health (Roney, 2013).

CITATION INFORMATION: Kieffer J. How the Spouses (Husbands) of Living Kidney Donors View Kidney Donation: A Grounded Theory Study Am J Transplant. 2017;17 (suppl 3).

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