Apr 19, 2024
Welcome back to UHC’s House Call on WDTV. Maura Mullen BSN, RN, Critical Care Supervisor and Educator at United Hospital Center, is here to discuss what is a living donation.
1). Does the living donor need to know the person to whom they donate an organ?
No. A person may donate to a specific person they know or anonymously to someone in need. This would be a non-directed donation.
2). Do living donors have to take medications for the rest of their lives or alter their dietary intake?
Generally, prescriptions for pain and stool softeners will be necessary in the immediate post-operative period only. However, a donor should eat a healthy, well-balanced diet, but there are no dietary restrictions.
3). Can an adult over the age of 50 donate? Also, does living organ donation shorten the donor’s life expectancy?
Yes, donors over 50 must be healthy and can donate primarily on a basis of health. Some transplant hospitals may have age restrictions.
The answer to your second question is no. There is no evidence that living donation shortens a lifespan.
This content was originally posted on the WDTV News website here.
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