The human body has incredible endurance. Our body is able to continue to function even after losing limbs, significant pieces of skin and some internal organs. We have long been accustomed to blood donation, but is it possible to donate something else to another person? With normal development from birth, a person has two completely identical kidneys. However, in case of serious illness or injury, one such organ may be destroyed. In this case, with appropriate treatment and recovery, the patient will continue to live a full life with one kidney. But there are also more complex clinical cases when, for some reason, a person loses both paired organs. In this case, a transplant is required and kidney donors are sought.
Modern medical technologies allow transplantation of internal organs from living and deceased donors. In the first case, priority is given to patients to whom close blood relatives are willing to donate a kidney. To receive an unrelated organ, the patient must join a specialized queue. Kidney donors are not only healthy people who decide to save someone’s life. Often the organs of deceased persons are used for transplantation with the permission of their loved ones. Today in Russia, an operation to transplant a donor kidney officially costs about 800,000 rubles. However, this money is paid by the insurance company under the compulsory life and health insurance policy. Accordingly, all operations are performed free of charge for patients and on a first-come, first-served basis. Even if a person in need of a transplant has the necessary amount, no one will pay for it on an extraordinary basis. Accordingly, voluntary donors cannot legally sell their organs.
Kidney transplantation in detail
The kidney is a paired, vital organ of the human body that belongs to the excretory system. Its main function is to remove excess toxic compounds of inorganic and organic origin from the blood, as well as the end products of nitrogen metabolism and other reactions. The kidneys are a kind of filter that helps to promptly remove all harmful substances from the circulatory system. By nature, each of us has two such organs, but medical research and statistical data show that it is possible to live quite successfully with just one. Today, the most popular surgeries are liver and kidney transplants. At the same time, demand exceeds supply, and in our country 15-30% of patients in need of a transplant die while waiting for their turn. The sale of human organs is prohibited by law in all developed countries of the world . It is this state of affairs that stimulates the growth of the black market. This topic is actively discussed, and any modern person understands that an organ transplant for many is equal to the cost of life. Accordingly, sometimes in moments of despair and during some financial difficulties the question arises: how to become a kidney donor for money?
Conditions for transplantation
Nature has endowed the human body with incredible endurance. This is confirmed by the facts when, having lost limbs and some organs, a person continues to live if he is provided with full medical care.
Absolutely no one is surprised that someone becomes a blood donor, thereby saving the lives of people in dangerous situations.
Donor kidney
However, the issue of donation is not limited to this, since modern medicine has the ability to carry out organ transplantation from both living and deceased donors.
Nature has endowed humans with two kidneys that perform identical functional tasks. It sometimes happens that due to certain diseases a person loses one kidney.
In this case, the second kidney redirects itself to perform absolutely all tasks, successfully filtering and cleansing the blood of toxins and other substances.
Based on this feature of kidney performance, living people are allowed to become kidney donors.
Kidney transplantation is needed for those who have kidney failure and have to take constant hemodialysis. The waiting list for a kidney transplant is incredibly long.
You can wait decades for a long-awaited operation. That is why, in order to save such a person’s life, his relatives decide to donate their kidney organ.
However, not everyone, even the closest person, is suitable for the role of a donor. It is very important that the donor kidneys are healthy.
Next, the donor is sent for an examination, during which his blood type is determined, since it is very important that the blood type of the donor and recipient completely match.
Donor examination
Complete strangers can also become donors if, based on the results of the examination, they are suitable in all respects.
In medical practice, situations are more often observed when complete strangers who are ready to part with an organ for money become living donors.
Unfortunately, there are clinics that hide the serious risks associated with donation, since it should be taken into account that the kidney may not take root in the recipient, and the donor himself may die, although the mortality rate is quite insignificant.
Pros and cons of kidney donation
The decision to donate your blood or organs for transplantation to another person is always very difficult and serious. A potential donor must understand that, despite the high development of medicine, no one can guarantee him that the operation will be successful and without consequences. But even after the end of rehabilitation, some problems may begin. Of course, with serious diseases that destroy kidney and liver tissue, even a person with a full set of organs is doomed. But do not forget that there is a high probability of accidents and injuries, which can result in significant internal damage. Kidney and liver donors must be fully aware of the seriousness of the situation. And make a decision only based on a voluntary desire to help and save someone’s life. It's not worth risking your health for money.
Is surgery dangerous for a kidney donor?
A person over 18 years of age who does not suffer from chronic diseases and recognizes himself as completely healthy can participate in a transplant at his own request. Officially, doctors do not require a special regime and claim that every kidney donor, after completing the recovery period, can continue to live a full life at the usual pace. But it is important to understand that after surgery, you should pay special attention to your health for the rest of your life. It is advisable to avoid excessive exercise, adhere to a healthy diet, and it is also useful to give up bad habits. All kidney donors must regularly undergo preventive examinations in the hospital, and in case of any deterioration in their health, consult a doctor, forgetting about self-medication for the rest of their lives. As for the real danger, studies have shown that the risk of death immediately after surgery (within three months) is 3.1%. However, this indicator was obtained by observing a fairly large group of donors, and it is impossible to say unequivocally that all of them died only due to the removal of one kidney. Within 12 years of kidney donation, the mortality rate among patients who donate their organs is 1.5. And this is again a total figure that includes deaths from various causes.
Consequences of donation
Donation is an opportunity to give life to another person. Transplantation of organs and tissues, including bone marrow, kidneys, liver and heart, is carried out by both public medical institutions and private clinics. And in each of them, the potential donor must be warned about the possible consequences of such an altruistic step.
Every potential donor should keep the following in mind:
- life expectancy after kidney removal decreases by an average of 10-15 years;
- a person will be forced to lead a healthy lifestyle throughout his life, adhering to proper nutrition, giving up alcohol and nicotine;
- for a long time you will have to protect your body from physical and psychological overload;
- when creating access to the kidney, it is often necessary to remove several ribs;
- a scar up to 20 cm long remains at the surgical site.
The risk of mortality cannot be excluded. Although it is small, it exists. According to statistics, 12 donors out of every 10 thousand die after surgery. The main cause of death is pulmonary embolism.
Black market for organs
The problem of organ transplantation exists today in almost all developed countries of the world. Since it is often a matter of life and death, many wealthy patients in need of donor kidneys are willing to pay a substantial amount for an urgent operation. Such demand stimulates the black market for internal organs. According to some reports, there are even special brokers in this area. They conduct transactions between patients in need of donation and people willing to sell their organs. It is precisely this “specialist” that a kidney donor who wants to receive a financial reward for his organ can turn to. However, when agreeing to such a transaction, you need to understand that no guarantees are provided, since this agreement is illegal.
Features of the operation
Carrying out all stages of the examination takes no more than a week. The operation itself, called nephrectomy, lasts about 2 or 3 hours. In recent years, a minimally invasive surgical method, laparoscopy, has been used to remove a donor kidney. Thus, it is possible to reduce the duration of hospitalization and rehabilitation of the donor, as well as speed up the time for his return to a full life.
The procedure for removing a donor kidney is recorded on a video camera, which subsequently helps to avoid controversial situations. The operation is performed under general anesthesia. After submitting it, a team of surgeons opens access to the organ, removes it, and then sutures the surgical wound.
After the operation, the kidney donor is placed in the intensive care unit, where he spends at least 24 hours. At this time, specialists conduct continuous monitoring of the vital functions of his internal organs.
He is then transferred to the general ward, where he undergoes the primary stage of rehabilitation, which lasts on average about 3 weeks. The period of secondary rehabilitation begins after discharge from the hospital. Its duration depends on the general condition of the person and can last from 6 months to 1 year.
Who should I sell the “extra” kidney to?
Trade in human organs is illegal in Russia and other developed world countries. When deciding to become a donor for financial reward, a person must understand that he is committing a crime for which he may be punished. Moreover, if the transaction is disclosed by law enforcement agencies, the intermediaries and the person purchasing the donor organ will also be found guilty. Before you think about how to become a kidney donor for money, weigh the pros and cons. When selling internal organs, there are no guarantees that compensation will be received or that the operation will be performed efficiently. Moreover, even honest intermediaries usually pay donors minimal amounts that are not commensurate with the harm caused to health.
How is the examination carried out?
A person who wishes to become a donor undergoes examination at a transplant center. The examination is carried out in several stages.
At the initial stage, the compatibility of the recipient and the donor is determined through the HLA system (an English abbreviation that translates as human leukocyte antigens or human tissue compatibility system). This analysis allows us to find out whether the donor’s tissues are able to take root in the patient’s body. If the result is positive, the donor is allowed to proceed to the next stage of the examination.
Subsequently, specialists determine the person’s suitability for donation. To do this, the following diagnostic measures are carried out:
- examination of the abdominal organs;
- cardiac echocardiography;
- X-ray examination of the chest organs.
A laboratory test of the potential donor's blood is also carried out. And after receiving the results, a council of doctors gathers, which includes a therapist, a surgeon and many other specialized specialists. They determine how well a potential donor meets the requirements put forward to him. It is very important that the potential donor and recipient have a similar body structure, height and weight.
Important! The sale of internal organs is prohibited in Russia. Therefore, you can donate them on a voluntary basis, without counting on material reward. Receiving money for a seized organ is a criminal offense.
Cost of a human kidney
No country in the world provides in its legislation for the compensation that donors of kidneys or other organs should receive. However, the global black market for transplant materials has long established its own prices. On average, the cost of a human kidney varies between 10-100 thousand dollars. Why is the price difference so great? Regardless of where the kidney transplant will take place, a donor may be found in another country. In countries with undeveloped economies, poorly educated people living in villages are ready to sell their organs, receiving compensation of 3-5 thousand dollars.
Donor kidney delivery procedure
In most cases, the donor and recipient are in different places. The donor may live in another city or even in another country. However, distance is not a serious obstacle to saving someone else's life.
In this case, the removed organ is preserved, which can significantly prolong its viability. To begin with, the donor kidney must be washed from any remaining blood, and then placed in a bag with a preservative solution, which is passed through its vessels. This process is called perfusion. The main goal of preservation is to slow down metabolic processes, which allows preserving the integrity of the organ until the moment of transplantation.
Before transportation, the bag with the kidney is placed in another bag, which is filled with sterile snow mass. And then both bags are placed in a third bag, which is filled with cold saline solution. In this way, specialists are able to maintain the temperature of the organ at 4°C, which allows the kidney to maintain vital activity for three days.
How to live with one kidney?
You won’t earn much by selling internal organs , but it is quite possible to ruin your own health once and for all, and possibly significantly shorten your life. It is not for nothing that paid donation is prohibited all over the world; the risks are too high, in addition, organ trafficking is contrary to many ethical principles. In the modern world, the question of how to become a kidney donor should be raised and considered only in case of illness of a loved one. The answer is simple: get tested and make sure of your own health and genetic compatibility. However, you should not be tormented by a feeling of guilt even if you can become a donor for one of your relatives, but do not want to do this. Remember: we are talking about your health, and it is not worth risking it without a great personal desire.
