Kidney transplant

A kidney transplant is the most common type of whole organ transplant. There are a vast number of patients with chronic renal failure, whose life is supported by dialysis. The only chance for these people to recover is a healthy organ transplant.

During dialysis, waste products are excreted from the body only three times a week, while with a transplanted kidney, they excreted continuously. Also, the organs of patients on dialysis do not perform several other vital functions, so the quality of life of such people leaves much to be desired. In turn, kidney transplantation eliminates all these problems and allows a person to return to a full life.

Absolute and relative contraindications

An absolute contraindication to transplantation is concomitant diseases that can adversely affect graft survival. Such conditions include oncology, severe diseases of the cardiovascular system, and others.

Relative contraindications:

Various infectious diseases;
Poorly controlled diabetes.

The recipient’s state of health assessed by conducting a general examination. The recipient undergoes various diagnostic tests, the purpose of which is to find out if he is suitable for organ transplantation.

Elderly patients may be candidates for kidney transplantation, but only on the condition that they have good general health.

Donors

Almost half of the kidneys came from healthy people whose brains had already died. An organ from a living organism is preferable, since it is more likely that it will take root well, and there will be no dangerous complications.

Living and healthy people, for example, relatives of a transplant candidate, can also act as donors. However, before transplanting a kidney, the donor is carefully checked, and his health status evaluated.

Transplantation technique

The donor’s kidney is removed by laparoscopic surgery, in which perfusion performed with chilled solutions. The organ removed so that its functions are well preserved. The transplant is done within 24 hours after the removal of the kidney from the donor.

In some cases, the recipient is given dialysis before surgery to ensure proper metabolism. The transplanted kidneys usually located in the iliac fossa.

Rejection

Even taking into account the use of immunosuppressants, organ rejection observed in 20 percent of recipients. But most often, this problem is easily eliminated by corticosteroid boluses.