What's the Difference? Living vs. Deceased Kidney Donors 

LIVING KIDNEY DONORS

DECEASED KIDNEY DONORS

A living kidney donor elects to give his or her kidney to someone with end stage renal disease (ESRD)

A deceased kidney donor allowed his or her usable organs to be taken from their body at their death

A kidney donor's life expectancy is not decreased

Demand for kidneys outweighs the supply (more than 99,000 people on waitlist)

Kidney will likely last longer compared to one from a deceased donor

It can be difficult to find a living donor (6K deceased donations vs. 3.7K living donations in 2016)

Transplant can typically occur much sooner

Length of time on waitlist varies based on several factors UNOS manages, including genetic compatibility with donors, health status and available donors

Know someone who would like to donate a kidney? Visit the National Kidney Registry to start the process.

Want to become an organ donor? Visit OrganDonor.gov to sign up.

Get Free Kidney-Friendly Cookbooks

1,000,000+ Enjoyed So Far!
GET MY FREE COOKBOOK

Explore Home Dialysis Options

Get to know the many benefits of peritoneal dialysis (PD) and home hemodialysis (HHD).

LEARN ABOUT HOME
Woman using a laptop while sitting at her dining room table

Learn to manage your kidney health.

Learn to manage your kidney health.

Get your questions answered in a no-cost Kidney Smart® class.

FIND A CLASS

Find a Dialysis Center

Call 1-800-424-6589 now to talk to one of our placement specialists.

SEARCH NOW

Take a Deeper Look at Treatment & Services

Dialysis Treatments

Get an overview about different dialysis treatments and how they help people continue a productive life.

Home Dialysis

Understand the benefits of home dialysis, whether it’s peritoneal dialysis (PD) or home hemodialysis (HHD).

Insurance Coverage for Dialysis

When you are diagnosed with kidney disease and need dialysis or a transplant, you’ll want to understand your insurance options, how to receive financial assistance and more.

Prescription Management

Understand how to keep track of your prescribed medications.

Travel Support

From tips to helping set up treatments when you travel, DaVita has resources to keep you on the move.

Emergency Services

When you need emergency support or dialysis placement, look no further than DaVita® Guest Services.

Quality Programs

See how the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recognized many DaVita centers with top marks in its Five-Star Quality Rating program.

Better Care with DaVita

With a kidney disease diagnosis, what do you do next? Find your way to better care in 3 steps.