Kidney Transplant

What is a kidney transplant?  — A kidney transplant is a surgery to insert a new, healthy kidney into a person whose kidneys are diseased. A new kidney is not put in the same place as the diseased kidneys. In fact, the diseased kidneys are often left in the body.

Why might I have a kidney transplant?  — You might have a kidney transplant to treat kidney failure.

When people have permanent kidney failure, also called “End-Stage Renal Disease,” their kidneys stop working. The healthy new kidney can do the job of the diseased kidneys. (People need only 1 kidney to live.)

Other than kidney transplant,Kidney failure can be treated by dialysis. But people usually benefit most from a kidney transplant. People who get a kidney transplant usually live longer and have a better quality of life than people who get other treatments.

Where can a new kidney come from?  — A new kidney can come from a:

• Living donor – A living donor is usually a family member or friend. He or she can be related to you, but doesn’t need to be. A living donor can also be someone you don’t know, but this is not as common and not legally allowed in Pakistan.
• Dead donor – If you don’t have a living donor, you can get on a list to get a kidney from a dead donor. An organization called “UNOS” keeps this list. This facility is not available in Pakistan.

What needs to happen before I can get a kidney transplant?  — Before you can get a kidney transplant, your doctor will send you to a transplant center. There, you will meet with doctors and have exams and tests. To get a kidney transplant, you need to meet certain conditions.

If you have a living donor, he or she needs to go to a transplant center, too. He or she will meet with doctors and have exams and tests. Donors also need to meet certain conditions to donate a kidney. Plus, your donor’s blood needs to match your blood.

What happens after a kidney transplant?  — After a kidney transplant, you will stay in the hospital for about 3 to 5 days. Your doctor will do exams and tests to make sure your new kidney is working correctly.

You will need to take medicines for the rest of your life. These medicines are called “anti-rejection medicines.” They help your body’s infection-fighting system accept the new kidney. Normally, the infection-fighting system helps people stay healthy by attacking objects in the body that come in from the outside (“foreign objects”). Anti-rejection medicines help keep your body from attacking the new kidney.

What happens if I don’t take my anti-rejection medicines?  — If you don’t take your anti-rejection medicines, your body will reject your new kidney and attack it. This will cause your new kidney to stop working.