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Renal Transplant

A renal or kidney transplant is a major surgical intervention involving the replacement of the diseased kidney with a healthy donor kidney. It is a preferred treatment for patients with end-stage renal disease. Studies have found a better survival rate for patients undergoing renal transplantation than those who stayed on dialysis, with a significantly improved quality of life.

  • Preparation for Kidney Transplant: Not all patients with kidney diseases are eligible for a kidney transplant. The transplant team comprehensively evaluates the health and lifestyle of the patients to determine eligibility. The patient undergoes blood tests to find the best-matched donor. The patient may also undergo an ultrasound, MRI, or CT scan to determine their overall internal health. Women may undergo an additional test to rule out gynecological diseases. The experts in the team perform a mental evaluation to determine if the patient could handle the mental stress of transplant surgery. The mental condition before, during, and after the surgery significantly affects the overall surgical outcome.
  • Procedure for Renal Transplant: The surgeons may perform minimally invasive surgery, such as robotic and laparoscopic surgery, or open surgery for a kidney transplant. During the kidney transplant, the surgeon makes a cut in the lower abdomen to place the donor's kidney. In most cases, the diseased kidney is left inside the body. However, the surgeon removes the older, diseased kidney in certain cases, such as uncontrolled high blood pressure, infection in the old kidney, and urine reflux in the kidneys.
  • Medications prescribed after Renal Transplant: The transplant surgeon prescribes several medicationsincludeing pain medications, antibiotics, and immunosuppressant drugs. Immunosuppressant drugs protect the transplanted kidney from the attack of the immune system.
  • Recovery after Renal Transplant: The patients should take good care of the wound and change the dressing as directed. Further, as the patients are on immunosuppressive drugs, they should avoid meeting people, especially those who are sick, and avoid going to crowded places. The patients should also visit the hospital for follow-up care. It allows the surgeon to determine the health and functioning of the kidneys.