Most people have to wait six to 10 years to get a deceased-donor kidney transplant. Our Living Donor Program recipients receive a transplant much faster—and with better outcomes than a kidney from a deceased donor.

Our approach to the living donor program

Of the 100,000 people across the United States waiting for a kidney transplant, 20,000 of those hopeful recipients live in California. But when someone is sick, a six to 10 year wait for relief is frustrating. By becoming a living kidney donor, you significantly cut down the wait time for a patient who needs help.

Our mission is to expedite the transplant process and provide both donor and recipient with top-level care in a state-of-the-art environment. We’re here to make it easy for you to save a life.

As a living kidney donor, your gift:

• has a lower risk of rejection
• functions better and longer than kidneys from deceased donors

About donating a kidney 

Living kidney donors have become more common in recent years, often donating an organ to people they know. You may be a tissue match to a family member or friend. And if you are a close enough match, our kidney transplant program enables direct donations.  

But choosing to benefit a stranger by becoming a living kidney donor is even more rare and extraordinary. This is called being a non-directed donor, and it can spark a chain that gives the gift of life to many more people.

How to get involved

If you’re wondering about donating a kidney, here’s how to get started. 

The first step is to fill out our health history questionnaire. You’ll need to answer all the questions. 

Once you’ve submitted a completed questionnaire, a living donor coordinator will review it. If you are a possible candidate, we will contact you. If you have questions at any time, please contact a living donor team member at 714-456-8441. 

Thank you in advance for your generous offer to be a kidney donor.

Why choose UCI Health for the Living Donor Program?

About one-third of the kidneys we transplant at UCI Medical Center have come from living donors. Although that number may shift from year to year, it is a testament to the success of our program and the great need. 

Our kidney transplant program enables direct donations when you and a recipient are a close match. We also coordinate paired exchanges that link two or more pairs of people to get viable kidney donor exchanges.