Living Donor Toolkit

There are more people in need of organ transplantation than organs available. As of February 2022, there were over 106,000 people waiting for transplantation. 1 In 2021, the United States performed 41,354 transplants, helping only a small number of those in need of an organ. These transplants were possible because 20,402 organ donors gave the gift of live, including 13,861 deceased donors and 6,541 living donors. 2

Living donation is a profound way to help a loved one or a stranger in need. That said, individuals considering living donation must look at the potential medical, psychosocial, and financial effects associated with donating an organ. The AST Living Donor Community of Practice (LDCOP) created this resource for living donors and those considering living donation to outline the donation process, answer questions about eligibility, and provide information about possible outcomes after donation.

^{1. Organ Donation Statistics. organdonor.gov. Updated March 2022. Accessed May 26, 2022.
https://www.organdonor.gov/learn/organ-donation-statistics}

^{2.All-time records again set in 2021 for organ transplants, organ donation from deceased donors.
UNOS.org. Published January 11, 2022. Accessed May 26, 2022.
https://unos.org/news/2021-all-time-records-organ-transplants-deceased-d...}

This resource is meant to:

1. Improve the availability and accessibility of high-quality information for anyone considering living donation;
2. Expand information to reach those who might consider living donation if they knew more about it;
3. Streamline educational content development across transplant centers.