Before Donor Surgery
Living donor surgery -- also called donor nephrectomy
-- may vary slightly from hospital to hospital.
The information provided here reflects the process
at Penn; practices elsewhere may vary.
Before surgery, donors should take a number
of steps to reduce the risk of postoperative
complications. Because the donor will receive
general anesthesia -- and because smoking can
cause complications with anesthesia -- he or
she shouldn't smoke two weeks before and two
weeks after surgery; this may be a good time
to consider quitting
permanently. In addition,
if the donor is overweight, he or she may be
asked to lose weight before donating a kidney.
If the donor is medically and psychologically
acceptable, the surgery is scheduled for the donor
and the recipient at a mutually agreeable time,
depending upon the transplant team's schedule.
If you are donating a kidney, you will be admitted
on the day of the surgery. If your health has
changed in any way, be sure to let the transplant
team know at that time. The anesthesiologist will
explain the procedure, review test results, and
ask and answer questions. He or she will also
discuss the pain management options you will have
after surgery.
On the evening before surgery, you'll be asked
to take a shower with antibacterial soap. In
preparation for general anesthesia, you'll drink
a bottle of magnesium citrate (a laxative) to
cleanse your bowels. You will be asked not to
eat or drink anything after midnight.
The morning of surgery, an intravenous
(IV) needle
will be inserted into a vein in your arm to provide
you with fluids and medications during surgery.
Shortly before you go to the operating room, you'll
receive an injection of relaxing medicine.
Reviewed by Robert
Grossman, MD
Last updated January 2007
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