Weird Donor Question

[upnover]

Just wondering if any donor has asked their surgeon for a picture of the kidney they are donating or a video of the procedure...maybe not the whole procedure but some of the high lights. I wonder if the surgeon would even allow this?

I'm getting one step closer...next series of tests is the cross match and the CT scan with the radio isotopes.yuck

[poodles]

Go ahead! I asked my surgeon for a pic of my kidney. Several people who used to be around here have also done so & posted links to their pix. I took a camera to hospital with me & gave it to a student who took excellent medical quality pictures.

Actually I'd forgotten about the camera until the team were walking me into surgery. when I remembered the head surgeon sprinted back to get it from my sis.  The whole team were extraordinarily helpful.

[brookeallison]

i asked my surgeon if he'd take pictures during surgery and he said he would. wish we would've gotten video as well as pics of it in my recipient, but these are great to have anyway...here is the link:

http://s302.photobucket.com/albums/nn118/brookeallison07/

[from.my.abdomen.to.yours]

Just wanted to say thanks for sharing your pics! and thanks to upnover for asking the question, lol I was wondering the same thing (I will *hopefully* be going to medical school after I finish my undergrad), I'm a huge nerd like that too and I was wondering if it would be a weird question to ask if they could film my kidney extraction if/when it happens...

[upnover]

Wow, I never thought it would look that way! Now I'm not so sure I would want to see this after the fact.
Thanks for sharing the pics though.

[Aries7]

That is not a weird question at all! I also asked the same thing before I donated. In my case, the doctor took pictures of my kidney while still inside of me, so I see my kidney and some surrounding organs/tissue. I am not sure exactly how they did this, but apparently they have a camera attached somewhere that can do this. He then gave it to my family after the surgery, explaining what organ was what.

I was like you that I wasn't sure I would want to see the pictures either. I figured I would ask for them because there was no going back later and getting them. I figured I wouldn't have to look at them, but they would be there if I decided to. I must say, I am glad I have them. 5 months after donating my kidney, I ended up having my gallbladder and appendix taken out and I asked for pictures from that too. I now have them all together in one album. I call it my "organ"ic photo album.

Best of luck to you on your next series of tests!

Linda

[snatiep]

I asked my surgeon if he would use a disposable camera to take a few photos of my donation and he said, "You know, that's kind of a strange request......but I'll do it!"

Sure enough, I have some photos of me on the operating table with the tools sticking out of my abdomen, a photo of them just pulling the kidney out, etc.  They are pretty interesting.

I was also given all of the CT scan photos and X-rays.

[ohtobeahayes]

I have pictures too. Our donation was on the news, so I have video of it being packed up and shipped out also. My recipient got to "meet" his new kidney before the knocked him out and installed it.  
it's awesome. Who gets to see their insides? Ask away! I'm bummed out I didn't ask to keep the gallstone that made me wish for death during my last attack before they yanked it. hahahah!

[jstx]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one wanting pics of my kidney.  I'm currently scheduling a date for surgery and plan on taking a disposable camera with me to see if they will take pics in the operating room for me.  My donor coordinator probably already thinks I'm strange so what's one more "odd" request?!  :-)