Data from the first nine donors who had the bellybutton procedure showed they recovered in about just under a month, Donors who underwent the standard laparoscopic procedure took just longer than thre months to recover.
Doctors say the procedure is not suitable for those who had multiple major abdominal surgeries or who are obese.
More than 80,000 Americans are awaiting kidney transplants.
The report is in the August issue of the Journal of Urology.
