What it is? A kidney transplant or Renal transplant is surgery to replace a diseased kidney with healthy kidney into a person.
Kidney anatomy .jpg)
The kidneys are responsible for removing wastes from the body, regulating electrolyte balance and blood pressure, and stimulating red blood cell production.
Description A donated kidney is needed to perform a kidney transplant.
The donated kidney may be from:
- Living related donor -- related to the recipient, such as a parent, sibling, or child
- Deceased donor -- a person who has recently died and who has no known chronic kidney disease
People with chronic kidney disease can receive lifesaving dialysis until a donated kidney becomes available. The healthy kidney is transported in cool salt water (saline) that preserves the organ for up to 48 hours. This gives the health care providers time to perform tests that match the donor's and recipient's blood and tissue before the operation.
PROCEDURE FOR A LIVING KIDNEY DONOR If you are donating a kidney, you will be placed under general anesthesia before surgery. This means you will be asleep and pain-free. The surgeon makes a cut in the side of your abdomen, removes the proper kidney, and then closes the wound. The procedure used to require a long surgical cut. However, today surgeons can use a short surgical cut (mini-nephrectomy) or laparoscopic techniques.
PROCEDURE FOR THE KIDNEY RECIPIENT People receiving a kidney transplant are given general anesthesia before surgery. The surgeon makes a cut in the lower belly area and stitches the new kidney into place. The wound is then closed.
Why the Procedure Is Performed A kidney transplant may be recommended if you have kidney failure caused by:
- Diabetes
- Glomerulonephritis
- Severe, uncontrollable high blood pressure
- Certain infections
A kidney transplant alone may NOT be recommended if you have:
- Certain infections, such as TB or osteomyelitis
- Difficulty taking medications several times each day for the rest of your life
- Heart, lung, or liver disease
- Other life-threatening diseases
Risks The risks for any anesthesia are:
- Problems breathing
- Reactions to medications
The risks for any surgery are:
Other risks include:
- Infection due to medications that suppress the immune response that must be taken to prevent transplant rejections
Kidney transplant - Procedure
The new kidney is sutured into place. The vessels of the new kidney are connected to the vessels leading to the right leg (the iliac vessels), and the ureter is sutured to the bladder.
Post operative Period Patient’s body system may reject the implanted kidney due to immune system. This means that their immune system sees the new kidney as a foreign substance and tries to destroy it. In order to avoid rejection, almost all kidney transplant recipients must take medicines that suppress their immune response for the rest of their life. This is called immunosuppressive therapy. While the treatment helps prevent organ rejection, it also puts patients at a higher risk of infection and cancer. If you take this medicine, you need to be regularly screened for cancer. The medicines may also cause high blood pressure and high cholesterol and increase the risk of diabetes.
A successful kidney transplant requires close follow-up with your doctor and always taking your medicine as directed. Kidneys from living related donors do better than from donors who have died. (If you donate a kidney, you can usually live safely without complications with your one remaining kidney.)
Prognosis Patients recover after period of 4 - 6 weeks for people who donate a kidney. If you've done so, you should avoid heavy activity during this time. Your doctor removes the stitches after a week or so. If you received a donated kidney, you will need to stay in the hospital for about a week. Afterwards, you will need close follow-up by a doctor and regular blood tests.
Reference: MedilinePlus
Video: Live Donor Kidney Transplant
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