| Author | Subject: transplant questions |
| susan | Posted At 16:21:49 05/10/2002 I was wondering if anyone had any idea if a living donor can donate if they are a smoker? I thought I read somewhere that you couldn't donate if you were a smoker. I cant remember where I saw this... but cannot find any other info on this subject. If any one knows let me know please.Thanx |
| Beth Witten | Re: transplant questions (Currently 0 replies) Posted At 16:10:22 05/15/2002 The National Kidney Foundation has a brochure entitled "Living Donors: Answering Your Questions About Living Donation" at www.kidney.org/recips/livingdonors/livdon.cfm. Smoking increases the living donor's risk of developing breathing problems, including pneumonia. Research has also shown a link between smoking and not only cancer and cardiovascular disease, but kidney disease as well. If you or your loved ones smoke, seek help to cut down or stop. The Surgeon General has information about stopping smoking at www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco/. Because different transplant programs have different rules about whether or not they accept living donors who smoke, check with the specific transplant program about their living donor eligibility criteria. Be honest about any lifestyle behaviors that could affect the donor or recipient. |
| SUSAN | Re: transplant questions (Currently 0 replies) Posted At 22:09:38 05/15/2002 THANKYOU BETH FOR YOUR ANSWER. I DID FIND ANOTHER ARTICLE THAT RECOMMENDED THAT LIVING DONORS QUIT SMOKING AT LEAST 6 MONTHS BEFORE SURGERY. SO IT IS A GOOD REASON FOR MY MOM TO QUIT. |