What is a Kidney Transplant?

Replacement of diseased or non-working kidneys with a healthy kidney from a living or brain dead donor. One can live long with one kidney also if it is functioning properly. It is for patients who have end-stage renal disease. The Kidney transplant surgeries are of two types :

• Living Donor Kidney Transplant Surgery: The kidney is taken from a close family member or spouse who is compatible and willing to donate. A thorough examination of the donor is done before accepting a candidate.
• Cadaveric or Deceased Donor Kidney Transplant Surgery: In this, the kidney is taken from a brain-dead person and the family members have consented to donate their organs. Extensive blood tests are done on both donor and recipient.

For more information on Kidney Transplantation criteria, please read Kidney/Renal Transplant Guidelines in India

The procedure of Kidney transplant :-

The procedure starts by the new kidney placed on the lower right or left side of the patient’s abdomen from where the nearby blood vessels are surgically connected. The artery and vein of the kidney will be attached just above one of the legs to an artery and vein in the lower part of the abdomen. To allow urine to pass out of the patient’s body the new kidney ureter, the tube that links the kidney to the bladder, will be connected to blood vessels and the bladder.

Benefits of Kidney Transplant :-

A successful kidney transplant can benefit the patient drastically. The patient will be able to get back to its normal lifestyle after the surgery and can go for a normal diet and opt for more fluid intake. After the transplant, the patient needs not depend on dialysis. Anemia which is a common problem with kidney failure might also be corrected. The success rate depends on the type of organ transplanted, by the number of organs transplanted and the type of disease that caused the organ to fail. For single organ transplants, the success rate is 80 % to 90 % and a 5-10 year survival rate.