Kidney transplantation procedure

A kidney transplant is a procedure where a new donor kidney is placed in your body. This is typically done to treat kidney failure. Once attached, your new kidney will start to do the job of the failing organ. The transplanted kidney is usually placed on either the lower right or left side of your abdomen. Overview During a kidney transplant, a donor kidney is placed in your lower abdomen. Your own kidneys aren't removed unless they're causing problems. What is a kidney transplant? A kidney transplant is a surgery that involves taking a healthy Where does my new kidney come from? Kidneys for Potential kidney donors are carefully screened to make sure they’re a match. This helps prevent complications. Why are kidney transplants done? Kidney transplants are done to help people with Procedure Details What are the kidney transplant requirements? Each hospital has its own criteria for accepting people as kidney transplant recipients. But in general, candidates should have: • End-stage renal failure and be on dialysis. • Late-stage chronic kidney disease, approaching the need for dialysis. • A life expectancy of at least five years. • A full understanding of postoperative instructions and care. What is the best age for kidney transplant? While most kidney transplant recipients are between the ages of 45 and 65, there really is no upper age limit. However, to ensure the best results, your healthcare provider will likely look for a donor who is close to your own age. How many kidn...

Kidneys are recovered from either living donors or deceased (brain-dead or donation after cardiac death) donors. Living-donor donation typically occurs between individuals who share an emotional bond but are not necessarily related. Good Samaritan living donors are altruistic (often anonymous) donors who wish to donate their kidney to individuals whom they do not know. The incidence of living unrelated transplants (those performed between individuals who are not related by blood) is increasing. [ Early experience has shown that laparoscopic donor nephrectomy is associated with a considerable increase in the willingness to donate. Transplant programs have noted increases in their overall kidney transplant volumes because potential donors face less postoperative morbidity and fewer economic disincentives when this technique is used. [ Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy poses a number of surgical challenges. For instance, the pneumoperitoneum required for laparoscopic surgery may decrease venous return and compromise graft perfusion; however, with skillful anesthesia (and increased volume administration), this problem can be overcome. Careful laparoscopic technique is required to recover grafts with adequate vessel length and with a well-preserved blood supply to the ureter. Given careful technique, the authors do not consider multiple renal arteries to be a contraindication to recovery, except in the rare case where four or more approximately equal-sized arteries are present. Th...

A preemptive kidney transplant is when you receive a kidney transplant before your kidney function deteriorates to the point of needing dialysis to replace the normal filtering function of the kidneys. Currently, most kidney transplants are performed on people who are on dialysis because their kidneys are no longer able to adequately clean impurities from the blood. Preemptive kidney transplant is considered the preferred treatment for end-stage kidney disease, but only about 20% of kidney transplants are performed preemptively in the U.S. Several factors have been linked to the lower than expected rate of preemptive kidney transplants, such as: • Shortage of donor kidneys • Lack of access to transplant centers • Low rates of physician referrals for the procedure among candidates of lower socioeconomic status • Lack of physician awareness of current guidelines Reprint Permissions A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.org," "Mayo Clinic Healthy Living," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. © 1998-2023 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved.