Kidney Transplant Surgery

The kidneys are a pair of organs located on either side of the body which help in eliminating wastes and excess fluids from the body in the form of urine and balancing the amount of acids, salts, and potassium in the body. They form a vital component of the body’s urinary and endocrine systems and their proper functioning is essential in helping a person lead a good quality of life. Therefore, when, due to various factors, the kidney is damaged beyond repair, a kidney transplant becomes imminent.

Kidney Transplant Surgery is a treatment of the final resort, a medical procedure in which the defective kidney is replaced by a healthy kidney taken from either a living or deceased donor. It is performed in case of ailments like chronic kidney failure and is also preferred by the people as opposed to spending the remainder of a person’s life being repeatedly hooked to a dialysis machine. In a kidney transplant surgery, the healthy kidney is transplanted or inserted into the recipient’s body by connecting the artery and the vein of the donor's kidney to those of the recipient and connecting the recipient’s bladder to the ureter of the donor kidney.

1. What are the criteria for kidney transplant eligibility?

This procedure is resorted to if the patient is suffering from chronic kidney failure wherein the person’s kidney is irreversibly damaged. This can happen due to many reasons such as advanced stages of type 2 diabetes, uncontrolled hypertension, debilitating effects of some over-the-counter medications, inherited diseases like polycystic kidney disease, amongst others. So far as the donor is concerned, he/she should be healthy enough with no major health issues like diabetes. Apart from these, there should obviously be a match between the donor and the recipient.

2. How a kidney transplant surgery performed and what are the steps involved in it?

At the outset, certain tests are performed with respect to the blood, heart, breathing and even urine in order to assess the compatibility of blood and tissue. This is also done to check for the presence of harmful viruses like the HIV.

Next, the transplant team briefs the patient and his/her family with regard to the procedure and the precautions to be taken. The feasibility, advantages, possible complications and potential risks of the surgery are also laid out in front of the patient and his/her family. After the surgery, a qualified nephrologist physically examines the patient. Sometimes, the transplant team might also include a dietitian who advises the patient regarding the nutritional care both before and after the transplant.

After the operation, the patient is required to stay in the hospital for some days to recover. During this time, he/she might be given immunosuppressants to blunt the effect of the body’s immune system which might sometimes attack the donor kidney deeming it to be a foreign body. The patient is advised about the quantity of intake and duration of the medication. There might be certain side-effects including weight gain, compromised immune system and many more.

3. What is the success rate of kidney transplantation?

Whether or not a kidney transplant surgery was successful depends not just on a successful surgery; the reaction and acceptance of the recipient’s body with regard to the new organ and its functioning is just as important. Having said that, it must be noted that in dire circumstances where the kidneys are severely damaged beyond repair, a transplant is the only long-term viable option left.

A transplanted kidney has a success rate of about 96% in case of deceased owner transplants within a year of the surgery and about 79% at five years after the transplant. In case of living donor transplant, the success rate is about 97% at one year and 86% at five years after the transplantation.

4. How is the quality of life after a kidney transplant?

Notwithstanding the above statistics, a kidney transplantation is undoubtedly a better option than dialysis. It offers a chance at leading a better quality of life, provided of course, that the recipient follows certain precautions recommended by the doctor for the rest of his/her life.

5. Can people consume alcohol after kidney transplant?

It is recommended to totally avoid drinking alcohol after such a major operation, as it increases the blood pressure and results in weight gain, both of which further stresses the kidneys and the body.

6. Is smoking weed dangerous or better for kidney transplant patients?

There hasn’t been any conclusive evidence to show that weed is beneficial or harmful for transplant patients. But, since the body’s immune system is particularly weakened after a transplant thanks to all the immunosuppressants, it is advised to desist from any kind of smoking.

If you have any queries or need any help, please contact us for Kidney Transplantation Surgery and Organ Donation.

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