Inter vivos kidney donation: What are the risks?

I've recently learned that a friend on dialysis has my blood type, although we are not known to be related. We are both O negative, a fairly rare type I'm told.



I'd like to help him off his machine by giving a kidney, provided I'm a proper match.



Several sub-questions:



1. What are other risks other than my only having one kidney for the remainder of my life?



2. How is the compatability test done?



3. Will his Medicare take care of the compatability test costs and the transplant itself?



Thanks in advance.Inter vivos kidney donation: What are the risks?I'll do my best to answer your question(s).



1. A person can lead a healthy life with only 1 kidney. The risks that you would most likely face is the ones involved with the surgery, not with having one kidney. (My mom gave me one of hers 6 years ago, and is doing pretty good.) One thing the surgeon might not mention, though, is that her back would hurt after the surgery because the body has to "readjust" everything in the space left after taking out the kidney.



2. The compatibility test is done by blood tests. Your blood will be drawn to test if you match, and if you are matched to give your kidney, you'll have a few more blood tests to make sure you're healthy enough to give your kidney, and possibly other tests (like an mri and/or ultrasound) to get a good look at your insides.



3. The recipient's insurance (whether a private insurance and/or medicare and such) are usually the ones that take care of the tests and the transplant for the recipient and the living donor.