Kidney Transplant Surgery

Your Transplant Team recognizes that the thought of kidney transplantation is an alarming prospect to most patients. It will be better for patients to have more information in order to prepare them mentally with the reality of the impending surgery. The information in this section is designed to answer many of your questions and help you to understand the transplant process.

The purpose of a kidney transplant is to implant a healthy kidney into your pelvic area that will assume the function of your damaged kidneys. Ideally, after the transplant you will no longer require dialysis and will lead a normal life for as long as the transplant functions.

The donated organ may be obtained from a living donor who is willing to donate a kidney to you and whose kidney is an appropriate match for you. The most common source of organs is normally from people who are diagnosed as brain dead and whose families donate their organs for transplant. In either situation, the organ is removed from the donor and placed into the recipient by a team of highly skilled professionals.

The nationwide success rate for patients after a kidney transplant is 93.8 percent after one year and 81 percent after five years. The success rate for the transplanted organ itself after one year is 82 percent and 81 percent after five years.

Once the Transplant Team determines that you are an appropriate candidate for transplantation when a suitable donor becomes available, you will have the chance to lead back a normal active healthy life. To help ensure a successful outcome, it is vital that you closely follow your physician and nurse's recommendations. These include taking immunosuppressive medications for the remainder of your life.


The Kidneys

We normally have two kidneys, one located on either side of the spine. Each kidney weighs approximately a quarter of a pound. Blood enters the kidney where it is filtered and waste products are separated out. Most of what is filtered from the blood, such as electrolytes and fluid, is reabsorbed into the body. The remainder leaves the body as urine, passing from the kidneys to the ureters, bladder, and finally, through the urethra.


In addition to eliminating waste products, the kidneys assist in the regulation of blood pressure, chemical and fluid balance and the production of red blood cells.

When renal function is impaired and a kidney can no longer adequately perform these activities, high blood pressure, fluid retention, and an inability to clear or filter waste products ensues. Eventuallykidney disease may progress to the point where dialysis or a transplant is necessary.