What Living-Donor Evaluation Actually Involves
Clearance happens at a transplant center, not on this website. Here is the sequence most kidney and liver donors are asked to complete — so you are not surprised.
You are not cleared here
Joining as a donor on uTransplant is always free. It puts you in a private matching queue for kidney or a portion of liver. It is not a medical workup, not a surgery date, and not permission to donate. The center that would operate is the only place that can say yes or no.
What the center typically orders
- Labs and blood type — basic health, infectious-disease screening, and ABO.
- Imaging — often a CT or MRI so surgeons can see anatomy.
- Heart and other specialty tests — as age and history require.
- Psychosocial evaluation — motivation, support, and whether anyone is pressuring you.
- Independent Living Donor Advocate — a required role at the transplant program, separate from any RN you meet through us.
You can stop at any step. A “not cleared” result is a medical decision, not a failure of character.
Time and travel
Evaluation can mean more than one trip to the center. Surgery and early recovery often mean staying nearby for weeks. Eligible living donors may use NLDAC for travel and lost-wage reimbursement — up to $6,000. We help with that paperwork after you join; we do not pretend a blog post is the application.
Next: Join as a donor — free · Living donor costs
This is general information, not medical advice. Your transplant program sets the exact tests and can decline a donor for any clinical reason.