There are two types of kidney donation:
- Living – A living-donor kidney transplant is when a kidney from a healthy donor is removed and placed into a recipient whose kidneys no longer function properly. Only one donated kidney is needed to replace two failed kidneys, which makes living-donor kidney transplant an alternative to a deceased-donor kidney transplant.
- Deceased – Kidney donations are possible from people who have recently died. It’s possible for a deceased donor to share their kidneys with two recipients. Deceased kidney donation is the most common type of kidney donation.