Living Kidney Donation

Kingston Health Sciences Centre is home to the regional Living Kidney Donor service for South Eastern Ontario.

Living donation occurs when a person freely decides to donate one of their kidneys to someone in need of a transplant. This compassionate gesture offers the individual waiting for a transplant an alternative to dialysis or a deceased donor transplant. The person who gives their kidney is called a donor.  Donating a kidney is the most common type of living organ donation, and is the most successful of all transplant procedures.

Even though living donor transplants have become more frequent  in Kingston and across Canada in the past few years, there is still a shortage of kidneys for patients on the wait list.

Donors can be anonymous and do not need to be related to a recipient.

If you are curious about or considering living kidney donation, thank you. A kidney transplant allows people with kidney failure to live longer and have a better quality of life. A kidney transplant does not have to change your life, but it can be life changing for the recipient.

This section contains information on the living donor transplant process. Please read the information carefully and take time to make an informed decision.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the Living Donor Coordinator at 613-549-6666 extension 7838. Once you have read all of the information and have made an informed decision, you must inform the Living Donor Coordinator if you wish to proceed.