Living Donor Transplantation

Living donation is an opportunity for ordinary people to do the extraordinary: save the life of another person by donating a kidney or part of a liver. Recognizing the power and vital importance of this type of donation, the Zweig Family Center for Living Donation was founded in 2010 within The Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute (RMTI) at Mount Sinai to ensure that living donors, transplant recipients, and their families receive outstanding, compassionate care throughout this life-changing journey. Today, our Center is one of the largest living donor programs in the United States.

Once you are considered an appropriate candidate for transplant and have been listed, the transplant team will consider live donor liver and kidney transplantation if a suitable donor comes forward. The donor must be a healthy person who is close to you emotionally, but not necessarily a blood relative. The donor must be physically fit and between the ages of 18-75 years old. The evaluation of the donor for living donation is separate from the evaluation of the recipient. It is important to note that the recipient’s insurance covers the costs associated with the donor evaluation, surgery and follow-up.