A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reveals that the risk of death for kidney donors has significantly decreased over the past decade.

The analysis involved data from 164,593 kidney donors between 1993 and 2022, focusing on mortality rates within 90 days post-surgery.

Mortality risks were stratified into three eras: 1993-2002, 2003-2012, and 2013-2022, reflecting advancements in donor selection and surgical techniques.

By 2022, the study found that fewer than one death occurred for every 10,000 donations, totaling only 36 deaths over the 30-year period.

Mortality rates for kidney donors dropped from 13 deaths per 10,000 from 1993-2002 to just 5 deaths per 10,000 from 2013-2022.

Lead author Allan Massie, Ph.D., emphasized that kidney donation is now safer than ever, with mortality among donors being extremely rare.

Surgical techniques have evolved significantly since the 1990s, with laparoscopic nephrectomy now being the standard procedure, greatly reducing complications.

Dr. Dorry Segev, a transplant surgeon at NYU Langone Health, noted that it is becoming increasingly safe to donate a kidney.

The study advocates for updating current guidelines for donor informed consent, which are based on outdated data from 2009.

Healthcare professionals hope that this reassuring data will encourage more individuals to consider becoming living kidney donors.

With nearly 90,000 people currently waiting for a kidney transplant in the U.S., living donations can significantly reduce waiting times.

The study also highlighted that male donors and those with a history of hypertension face higher mortality risks, indicating the need for careful donor selection.