How long do I have to wait for a donor kidney?

The length of time that patients must wait for a kidney transplant varies greatly. If a patient has a friend or family member who wishes to donate a kidney, the time to transplantation may be a matter of just weeks or months. If no living donor is available and the patient remains on the wait list for a deceased-donor organ, the wait may be several years.

Regardless of the time to transplantation or the donor source, candidates for transplantation must maintain close communication and regular checkups with the transplant team. It is important to remain as healthy and strong as possible, so that when the donor organ becomes available, the patient will be in the best possible physical condition to undergo surgery. Good health not only makes it more likely that transplant surgery can proceed, but it helps patients recover better and faster after the surgery. Patients should keep the transplant team's phone numbers accessible at all times, and should contact the team if any new or significant health issues develop. Each patient is assigned to a Transplant Coordinator who will be their primary contact while waiting for their kidney transplant.