Rhode Island Hospital
Living Donor Transplant Program
Donor Guide
Final Testing & Appointments
- A CT scan is one of the final tests that will be completed
once the nephrologist has reviewed all of the medical records
and test results. This study gives detailed information about
the kidneys and the blood vessels going to and from the kidney.
The transplant surgeon will use this information to determine
which kidney will be surgically removed during the donor operation.
More about CT scan
Final Crossmatch and Pre-Admission Testing
The transplant secretary will schedule all final appointments and
send confirmation of the schedule approximately three weeks prior
to the scheduled procedure. Approximately one to two weeks before
the scheduled surgery, the donor and recipient have some scheduled
tests and appointments that are completed together. At this point,
a final crossmatch is completed to verify that the donor and recipient
compatibility has not changed.
Donor and recipient also have an appointment in the pre-admission
testing department. During this appointment:
- Hospital staff will review your records to make sure all laboratory
testing is within normal limits and that the tests have not expired.
- They will complete any testing that needs to be completed.
- You will also receive instructions as to where and what time
to report for surgery and instructions for the night prior to
surgery.
Appointments Before Surgery
Once this process has been completed you will be asked to report
back to the transplant clinic. During this appointment, donor and
recipient will meet the surgeon who will perform their surgery.
The surgical procedure and recovery will be discussed. You will
be given the opportunity to ask questions and will be asked to sign
a surgical consent.
Following the visit with the surgeon, the donor and recipient will
meet with a nurse from the transplant clinic. The nurse will also
review the pre- and post-surgical process with both the donor and
recipient.
During this appointment, post-transplant medications are reviewed
with the recipient. Donors are not obligated to remain for this
portion of the meeting. However, many have reported they found it
helpful to know what the long-term implications are after the recipient
receives this precious gift. Family members also find it valuable
to know this information prior to the surgical procedure.
Kidney transplant surgery:
Donor options and what to expect 
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