Laparoscopic and robotic techniques make living donations safer and less invasive
At Stanford Health Care, the transplant team uses the da Vinci Surgical System to retrieve donor kidneys. This robotic-assisted technology enables surgeons to be incredibly precise while lowering the risk of complications. Stanford Health Care was the first medical center in Northern California—and is currently one of only a handful of medical centers nationwide—to use robotic-assisted surgery for living kidney donors.

The team also uses laparoscopic techniques to retrieve liver tissue from living donors. These minimally invasive procedures only require a few small incisions. They involve less pain and a shorter recovery period than traditional surgery. Donors only need to stay in the hospital for a day or two following the procedure, and they are able to return to their usual activities in about a month.

Recipients of living-donor organs benefit from these innovations, too. They spend less time on the transplant waiting list, and they often have more flexibility when scheduling the transplant surgery. Additionally, living-donor transplantations involve a lower risk of complications, and the chances of long-term success following a transplant are higher.

Excellent outcomes that continue to surpass the national averages
Stanford Health Care leads the nation in outstanding outcomes for patient survival rates for living donor graft recipients. For kidney transplantation from a living donor, the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) reports:

• The Stanford Health Care 1-year patient survival rate is 100%, compared to the national average of 98.54%.
• The Stanford Health Care 3-year patient survival rate is 100%, compared to the national average of 97.46%.

The Stanford Health Care outcomes for liver donations from a living donor are also exceptional. Their 1-year patient survival rate for this procedure is 100%. The national average is 95.51%.

Urgent need for living donors of all ethnicities
The kidney and liver transplant waiting list currently includes more than 103,000 people. Over half of those on the waitlist are Black, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native American. Shared ethnicity is not a requirement for a recipient/donor match or for successful transplantation. But recipients may have an increased chance of long-term survival when they are a close genetic match with their donor.

To address the critical need for a diverse living donor registry, the Stanford Health Care team encourages people from various ethnicities to consider donating. By broadening the pool and encouraging more people from these groups to donate, the team hopes to make organ transplantation accessible to as many people as possible.

Stanford Health Care also offers several options to match donors with recipients and ensure that patients receive the organs they need. These options include donor exchange programs, kidney “swaps,” and donation chains for incompatible donor/recipient pairs.

Learn more about the living donor campaign at Stanford Health Care
The solid organ transplant team invites you to learn more about becoming a living donor and to share this information with your patients. Please visit the Stanford Health Care living donor campaign website to download information sheets, read frequently asked questions, and watch a video about organ donation and transplantation.

These resources are available in several languages, including Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese. The living donor team is ready to assist potential donors by answering questions and sharing additional information. They also provide living donor advocates to guide donors through the process.