About Find A Kidney

Recently diagnosed with kidney failure and wondering what to do next? That’s where we come in.

FindAKidney.org, a subsite of the National Kidney Registry, is here to help you find a living kidney donor by giving you the necessary tools and information to run a successful donor search campaign.

Kidney Failure Treatment Options

Generally speaking, there are three main treatments if your kidney failure is permanent: dialysis, a deceased donor transplant or a living donor transplant.

Treatment Type	Pros	Cons
Dialysis	Allows you to live without functioning kidneys Preserves your life while you look for a donor	High mortality rate: 1 year: 75-80% survival rate 5 years: 35% survival rate
Deceased Donor Transplant	Dialysis is no longer required Lower risk of death than on dialysis Better quality of life than on dialysis Fewer dietary restriction than on dialysis	Donors are often older and may not be in the best of health Constantly on call—transplants happen with no warning Average wait time is 3-10 years Kidney life of 10-15 years
Living Donor Transplant	Less time on a waitlist and less time on dialysis Donor goes through extensive health testing Better outcomes Less medication Lower mortality rates Last twice as long as deceased donor kidneys (20-40 years)	Surgery is a challenge for those not in good health Requires searching for a donor Involves someone else (often a loved one) undergoing surgery

About the National Kidney Registry

The National Kidney Registry is dedicated to increasing the number of kidney transplants from living donors, improving donor-recipient matches for longer-lasting transplants, and offering protection and support to living kidney donors to make the kidney donation process safer, easier and more convenient. Learn more.