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The Need for Living Kidney Donors Apr 21, 2017 | By Mayo Clinic Transplant Staff (@mayoclinictransplantstaff)Comment receiving replies
In a section I just read called Did You Know? it says " there's no cutoff age for being a living kidney donor". I need a kidney transplant and have been evaluated & accepted for kidney transplant at Mayo in Minnesota. I've been trying to spread the word and Mayo Living Donation contact information to anyone who is interested. A relative of mine contacted Mayo to ask about beng tested for me and she was rejected because she was too old. She is 82 and was told the cutoff is 80.
Replies to "In a section I just read called Did You Know? it says " there's no cutoff..."
@cehunt57, I would like to welcome you to Connect. This is an excellent question. I am happy to see that you are receiving some helpful replies from others who have experience with this.
I wish you well on your journey to transplant.
Rosemary
Hi @cehunt57. Glad to hear you’re spreading the word about living donation! Be sure to check out our recipient toolkit (http://mayocl.in/2oZ9oId) and living donor toolkit (http://mayocl.in/2pGgHCF) for resources and information that may be helpful to you. Our apologies for any confusion about the cut off age for a living kidney donor. A donor’s eligibility is so hard to predict without a medical exam, which is why we say there is no hard cut off. But generally speaking, for a related living kidney donor we may consider people in their 70s, and for unrelated donors we typically consider people in their 60s as the highest age. Hope that helps and best of luck with your search!
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@cehunt57 - It is my understanding that the cut off age is dependent on the transplant center. My nephrologist at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester) told me 80 would be too old because "it would not be a good transplant." (My Mom offered to donate and she is 80). Apparently everyone loses kidney function with age so I got the impression that if you need the kidney to last many years (20 plus) then the age of the donor will impact the success and longevity of the transplant.