Living Kidney Donor Perceptions About Organ Donation: Who are They, and How Do They Feel About the Process?

Abstract

Background: The panorama of living kidney donors (LKDs) in Portugal has changed over the past decade, including kidney-paired exchange programs, undirected donations, and more complex kidney transplants, which could affect the predisposition to donation. We sought to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of a cohort of LKDs at our center and assess their perceptions of the donation process.

Material and methods: LKDs who donated between January 2018 and December 2019 underwent a predonation psychosocial evaluation and a follow-up evaluation in May 2022, which included questionnaires about perceptions regarding donation. We analyzed the results descriptively.

Results: Forty-four LKDs were included, aged 47.3 ± 10.3 years. Most were female (68.2%). A total of 52.4% only attended primary school; 52.3% were genetically related to the recipients, and 40.9% were spouses. In 86.4% of the LKDs, the decision to donate was easy; in 13.6%, it was a little difficult, with some doubts. All donors said that the information provided was adequate. Most LDs (79.5%) stated that the relationship with the recipient did not change, and most (88.6%) believed that the recipient's health state improved significantly. Only one LD would not donate again, and 77.3% would strongly encourage others to do it.

Conclusions: The perceptions about donation in our cohort were very positive, and most donors would encourage others to donate. All felt well-informed about the process, and the regret rate was very low. Although these results must be studied in larger cohorts, sharing previous donors' experiences can add value to the dissemination of LKD programs.