Kidney Transplant in Turkey: Living-Donor Transplantation in Istanbul

Who can be a kidney donor? The legal framework

In Türkiye, international patients can receive a kidney only from a living donor and must come with their own donor; they are not placed on the deceased-donor waiting list. By law the donor must be related to the recipient by blood or marriage up to and including the fourth degree, and this must be proven with official documents. Donors who are not relatives require approval by the hospital’s ethics committee. New City Clinic does not provide donors and does not mediate in any arrangement of that kind. Organ trading is a crime in Türkiye.

When is a kidney transplant considered?

In end-stage kidney failure, a transplant can offer a longer life of better quality than dialysis. Whether it is suitable for you, and whether your donor is suitable, is decided only by the transplant council after testing. Send the recipient’s and donor’s medical reports, blood groups and the documents proving your relationship, and the transplant team will tell you in writing which tests are needed.

Tests for recipient and donor

Recipient and donor undergo blood group, tissue typing (HLA) and cross-match tests together with a full health screening. The results are reviewed by the transplant council and, where required, the ethics committee. Donor candidates go through a very strict assessment, and only those found suitable are accepted.

The operation

The donor’s kidney is usually removed by keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery. The new kidney is placed in the recipient’s groin area; the patient’s own kidneys are generally left in place. The transplant operation takes around 3–4 hours.

Hospital stay and the process of about 70 days

The donor usually stays in hospital for 3–5 days and returns to daily life in 2–4 weeks. The recipient is monitored closely in hospital for 7–10 days, with kidney function and drug levels followed. During the first 3–4 weeks you stay in Istanbul for frequent check-ups while medication doses are adjusted. Including tests, surgery and check-ups, the whole process is planned at about 70 days.

Documents, travel and accommodation

Official documents proving the family relationship need to be translated and certified; you are told in writing exactly which documents are required. Recipient and donor should check the visa or e-visa requirements for their passports on the official Turkish government website (evisa.gov.tr); once treatment is planned, the appointment is confirmed in writing by the hospital. Accommodation close to the hospital and transfers are arranged for the whole process, and your transplant reports are prepared in English for your physician at home.

Partner hospitals and life after the transplant

Transplantation is coordinated at partner hospitals with organ transplant centres (Acıbadem, Medicana, Medipol, Medical Park and Biruni University Hospital); the centre is chosen according to the team’s assessment. A transplant is a treatment, not the end of care: immunosuppressant medication is taken for life and monitored with blood tests, and your follow-up continues with your nephrologist at home.

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