Organ Donor Evaluation: What to Expect at Every Step | NYU Langone

Why It Matters

Understanding the thorough, donor‑centered evaluation process builds confidence, expands the donor pool, and ultimately saves more lives through increased transplant opportunities.

Key Takeaways

• Living donor evaluation spans 1‑2 months, prioritizing donor safety.
• Multidisciplinary team assesses health, support system, and surgical risks.
• Directed donation matches donor and recipient; paired exchange expands options.
• Registration as donor never compromises emergency medical treatment.
• Deceased donors can provide up to eight organs and 75+ tissues.

Summary

The NYU Langone video outlines the full evaluation process for both living and deceased organ donors, emphasizing donor safety and informed consent. It explains how potential living donors undergo a multidisciplinary assessment over one to two months, involving physicians, surgeons, and nurse coordinators who also review the donor’s support network. Key insights include a structured timeline, comprehensive health screening, and the distinction between directed donation—where a donor gives to a known recipient—and paired exchange, which broadens match possibilities for non‑compatible pairs. The program assures that donor registration never interferes with emergency medical care. Sapna Meta, infectious diseases physician and clinical director, highlights that a single deceased donor can supply up to eight organs and over 75 tissue transplants, illustrating the profound impact of donation. The video also details how paired exchanges enable donors to help strangers while still benefiting loved ones. For prospective donors, the information demystifies the process, reduces fear, and underscores the life‑saving potential of both living and post‑mortem donation, encouraging broader participation and supporting transplant system capacity.

Original Description

Have questions about organ donation? NYU Langone Health transplant specialist Dr. Sapna Mehta answers the most common concerns, from whether donation is safe for your own health to what the living donor process looks like from evaluation to recovery.

In this video, Dr. Mehta covers:

• Whether being a registered organ donor affects your medical care

• What the living donor evaluation process involves and who is on your team

• How long the process takes from first inquiry to surgery

• What directed donation means and what happens if you're not a match

• How paired exchange works

• The impact a single donor can have after death

Ready to learn more or start the process? 👉 Visit NYU Langone’s Transplant Institute: https://nyulangone.org/care-services/nyu-langone-transplant-institute

About Dr. Sapna Mehta: https://nyulangone.org/doctors/1487866406/sapna-mehta

👉 Schedule a consultation: https://nyulangone.org/doctors/specialty/transplant-surgeon?sort=availability&page=1

👉 Register as an organ donor: https://www.registerme.org/

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 — Does Being an Organ Donor Affect Your Health?

00:10 — How Are Living Donors Evaluated?

00:31 — What Is the Living Donor Process Step by Step?

00:57 — Your Transplant Support Team

01:31 — How Long Does Living Donor Evaluation Take?

02:01 — What Is Directed Donation?

02:32 — What Is Paired Exchange in Kidney Donation?

02:53 — Will Organ Donor Registration Affect Your Medical Care?

03:11 — How Many Lives Can One Organ Donor Save?

03:28 — About Dr. Sapna Mehta — NYU Langone Transplant Institute

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