Kidney Transplant Surgery is a very complex procedure. First, the surgeon implants a healthy (donor) kidney in a patient suffering from end-stage kidney disease. A kidney transplant will result in recovering from kidney failure and leading a healthy everyday life.

A kidney Transplant provides a patient with a normal life. It is imperative in children with end-stage kidney failure as they will suffer the consequence of growth retardation without it.

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located below the rib cage on each side of the spine. Each is about the size of a fist. Their primary function is to filter and remove waste, minerals, and fluid from the blood by producing urine.

When your kidneys lose this filtering ability, harmful levels of fluid and waste accumulate in your body and cause high blood pressure. End-stage renal disease occurs when the kidneys have lost about 90% of their ability to function normally.

A multidisciplinary team performs kidney transplants; nephrologists, Vascular surgeons, Urologists, and supporting staff. Extensive planning for both donor and recipient is essential to guarantee the best results and most extended graft survival. Kidney Transplant is performed both in adults and children. Centers with high volume cases offer the best results, as proven by medical studies.

You may need tests to see how well the donor’s kidney matches your tissue and blood type. A close tissue match reduces the chances that your body will reject the donor’s kidney. In addition, the team will evaluate you to ensure that you do not have significant heart or lung disease or other diseases, such as cancer.

The donor kidney usually begins to function right away. However, in most cases, diseased or damaged kidneys are not removed. After the transplant, recipients will have an everyday healthy life. Still, they will need to stay on an extensive medication regimen with close follow-up for life.