Candidates for Kidney Transplant

• they’re well enough to undergo the surgery
• the person is willing to follow recommended treatments required after the transplant – such as taking immunosuppressant medication and attending regular follow-up appointments
• the transplant has a relatively good chance of success

Contraindications for Kidney Transplant

• Advanced age
• Dementia or poorly controlled mental illness
• Active or recently treated cancer
• Reversible kidney failure
• Uncontrolled psychiatric disease
• Severe heart disease
• Alcohol or drug abuse
• Any other factor that could affect the ability to safely undergo the procedure and take the medications needed after a transplant to prevent organ rejection

Kidney transplant indications:

Indications for kidney transplantation include chronic kidney disease (CKD), renal tumours, Polycystic kidney disease or other inherited disorders, Lupus and other diseases of the immune system and Other conditions, such as congenital defects of the kidneys.
In children, the most cause of end-stage kidney disease is congenital malformations of the kidney and urinary tract, followed by hereditary\genetic kidney diseases and glomerular disorders.

Kidney Transplant Risks and Complications

Infection is a significant cause of death after kidney transplantation and this happens due to the immunosuppressant drugs that are taken after the transplant to prevent the body from rejecting and attacking the new kidney
Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death and graft loss in patients with diabetes
Hypertension: this happens in 50 to 80 % of the kidney transplant population
Obesity is a common issue and it can be due to the use of corticosteroids after the transplantation
Diabetes mellitus usually starts in the first few months after the transplantation
Hematologic issues like low leukocytes and anaemia and low thrombocytes and erythrocytosis
cancers

kidney Transplant Surgery

Kidney transplant surgery takes 2-4 hours.
You will be put to sleep under a general anaesthetic while the transplant takes place.
there are many different ways that a kidney can be transplanted, so, your surgeon will explain their preferred technique.
Once you’re asleep, your doctor makes an incision in your abdomen and places the donor kidney inside.
The doctor then connects the arteries and veins from the kidney to your arteries and veins. This will cause blood to start flowing through the new kidney.
The new kidney’s ureter is attached to your bladder to allow urine to pass out of your body.
Your original kidneys will stay in their place unless they are causing problems like infections or high blood pressure then they will be removed.

After Kidney Transplant Surgery

Your new transplanted kidney may start working immediately. Or, sometimes it needs days or weeks to start functioning in this case you may need dialysis temporarily until it starts working.
you will feel sore for a few days after the surgery and need strong painkillers
You can expect to be in hospital for at least a few days or even a week or more
You’ll need to take your immunosuppressant drugs as directed. Your doctor will also prescribe additional drugs to reduce the risk of infection.