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AHN Living Organ Donor Program

Living organ donation allows someone who is healthy to donate part of an organ (like the liver) or one organ in a pair (like a kidney) to someone who needs an organ transplant. This often has better outcomes and shorter wait times than waiting for deceased donor organs.

At AHN, we have dedicated programs for living kidney organ donation and living liver organ donation. 

 If you are interested or know someone you would like to help through living organ donation, contact our Living Donor Program at 412-359-4441.

Multidisciplinary care for living organ donation

Our living organ donor program includes medical professionals from different specialties and with different backgrounds working together to provide both donor and recipient with the best possible care.

Everyone on our team has received specialized transplant training. Throughout the living donor process, we work together to provide comprehensive physical, mental, and emotional support for both organ donor and recipient.

At AHN, your care team includes:

  • Medical specialists. These physicians, including a hepatologist (liver specialist) or nephrologist (kidney specialist), critical care specialist, and surgeon, provide medical expertise, surgical intervention, and critical care management to ensure everyone's health and safety.
  • A social worker. This provider offers vital support, helps determine if someone is mentally ready to donate, and connects families with essential resources and counseling.
  • A nurse coordinator. This provider serves as a primary point of contact for both donor and recipient, helping schedule appointments and navigate the complex donation process.
  • Pharmacists. Transplant pharmacists manage all medication routines, ensuring the safety and effectiveness of medications for both donor and recipient.
  • A physical therapist. This provider guides donors and recipients through exercises to improve their strength, mobility, and physical function both before and after living organ donor surgery.
  • A dietitian. This provider personalizes nutrition guidance for donor and recipient to help improve health for surgery and support long-term recovery.
  • A financial coordinator. This team member helps everyone understand insurance coverage, manage costs, and access financial aid during the donation and transplant process.

Frequently asked questions for living organ donation

Who can be a living donor?

Living donors need to be 18 years or older and be in good overall physical and mental health. Some medical conditions could prevent you from being a living donor including diabetes, cancer, HIV, hepatitis, or pregnancy.

To find out if you're able to be a living donor, you'll first complete an initial screening questionnaire of basic medical and social factors that affect your mental health and well-being. Our social worker will also explain the ways that donating can affect your life, including your employment and family obligations, as well as the emotional experience.

What are the different living donor transplant types?

There are two different types of living organ donation: directed and non-directed or altruistic.

In a directed donation, you'll name the specific person you want to receive your organ. This is the most common type of living donation. Recipients can include:

  • A biological relative, such as a parent, brother, sister, or adult child.
  • A biologically unrelated person who you have a personal or social connection with, such as a spouse or significant other, a friend, or a coworker.
  • A biologically unrelated person who you don't have a personal or social connection with but have heard about their need.

In a non-directed or altruistic donation, you don't name the specific person you want to receive your organ. The donation program chooses a match based on medical compatibility with a patient in need. You don't have to meet the recipient if you choose not to.

What type of testing will I have done?

You will have a complete medical and psychosocial evaluation, which typically takes three to six weeks. We will verify your blood type and compatibility between you and the transplant candidate before your evaluation appointment. We'll complete most of your testing at your evaluation appointment. If you live outside of Pennsylvania, we'll complete your testing at a facility near where you live.

Are there any health risks for living organ donation?

Our living donor team will discuss all health risks, benefits and alternatives to donation with you. Research has shown that donation does not change life expectancy or increase a person's risks of developing kidney/liver disease or other health problems.

What kind of follow-up appointments do I need?

You will have a postoperative appointment with your surgeon within two weeks after surgery. You will then have follow-up appointments at six months, one year, and two years, so our team can monitor your kidney or liver function and overall health. After your two-year follow-up, you should go back to seeing your primary care provider each year.

What emotions might I experience after surgery?

Most living donors say they feel significantly fulfilled by donating an organ because they have helped another person in such an impactful way. Our living donor team is available to you at all times to help you through your feelings and emotions. We have health care professionals dedicated to easing you through the process and helping you every step of the way.

Who pays the medical costs for my donation?

Testing required for the living donor evaluation is typically covered by the recipient's medical insurance. Our living donor coordinator and financial counselor will work closely with you to explain your financial responsibilities. For instance, all non'medical expenses, travel costs and daily living expenses that are incurred during the donation process are not covered by AHN. However, there are programs that may assist with these expenses.

Contact the AHN Living Donor Program

To learn more about living organ donation, contact the AHN Living Donor Program coordinators by calling 412-359-4441 or 412-359-8119.

To register to be an organ donor, visit Donate Life America.