Kidney Surgery for Living-Donors

At UPMC, our surgeons specialize in minimally invasive kidney surgery. In most cases, they can perform living-donor kidney surgery laparoscopically.

What to Expect During Minimally Invasive Kidney Surgery

• Surgeons insert a mini camera — called a laparoscope — into your abdomen through tiny incisions.
• The camera allows them to visualize and locate the kidney before removing it through a relatively small incision (about 3 inches).
• The entire operation takes around 3 hours.

After kidney donation surgery, most donors spend a few days in the hospital to recover.