Background: The supply of deceased donor kidneys available for transplantation is not sufficient to meet the demand of renal failure patients. Living donor kidney transplantation remains an alternative to deceased donor kidney transplantation. Despite a low rate of complications for donors and superior outcomes for recipients, living kidney donation is on the decline.

Methods: We performed a single-center analysis of living kidney donors (LD) who underwent donor nephrectomy between 1/1/00 and 12/31/10. LD were identified by retrospective review of our transplant database. Candidates were excluded from donation in the setting of a positive cross-match or medical/personal reasons. Donor candidates who were excluded from donation were identified as control subjects (CS). All LD and CS were invited to voluntarily undergo a quality of life assessment using the Short Form 12 v1.0 Questionnaire (SF-12) and an addendum questionnaire (AQ). The SF-12 and AQ were administered by telephone by a single investigator. Statistical analysis of the results was performed to obtain the SF-12 physical component score (PCS) and mental component score (MCS), and the AQ score. PCS and MCS for the general population were obtained from the 1998 National Survey of Functional Health Status.

Results: During the study period, 83 LD and 116 CS were interviewed. LD displayed a statistically significant higher mean PCS when compared to the CS (54.1 vs. 52.2; P= 0.04). LD were noted to have higher PCS (54.1 vs. 49.6) and MCS (55.7 vs 49.4) compared to the general population. 99% of LD felt that their quality of life did not decrease after donation; 21.7% reported experiencing complications during recovery. Half of LD (48%) reported missing one day of work for evaluation; 71% of LD reported missing at least 4 weeks of work after donation. Nearly all LD (99%) would undergo donation again. 52% of LD reported adhering to the recommended two-year follow-up schedule with the transplant team; 87% of LD reported seeing their primary care physician on a regular basis.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that quality of life does not decrease as a result of living kidney donation. LD are physically and mentally healthier after the donation compared to the general population. Most donors miss at least one month of work after donation and undergo some form of post-donation monitoring. Despite this commitment, living kidney donation is a very satisfying experience.

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