A kidney transplant is a surgery to implant a healthy kidney from a living or deceased donor into a patient whose kidneys are no longer function properly. The function of kidney is to remove waste product from our blood and conserve the essential nutrients and water for our body beside controlling Blood pressure and helping in hemoglobin production and vitamin D synthesis for bone health.
When kidneys lose this filtering ability, harmful levels of fluid and waste accumulate in the body, which can raise blood pressure and result in kidney failure (end-stage renal disease).
Common causes of end-stage kidney disease include:
- Chronic, uncontrolled high blood pressure.
- Chronic glomerulonephritis — an inflammation and eventual scarring of the tiny filters within the kidneys.
- Polycystic kidney disease.
- Use of illegal drugs including pain killers and smoking.
- Chronic infection and kidney blockage due to stone disease.
- Treatment options: Dialysis & Kidney Transplant.
A kidney transplant is often the treatment of choice for kidney failure, compared with a lifetime on dialysis. A kidney transplant can treat chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease to bring you back to normal life.
Types of Kidney Transplant
- Deceased-donor kidney transplant (cadaver kidney Transplant).
- Living-donor kidney transplant (Compatible and incompatible) Blood group.
- Preemptive kidney transplant.
- Swap Transplant (Paired donor exchange among incompatible blood groups).
Compared with dialysis, kidney transplant is associated with
- Better quality of life
- Lower risk of death
- Fewer dietary restrictions
- Lower treatment cost
Some people may also benefit from receiving a kidney transplant before needing to go on dialysis, a procedure known as preemptive kidney transplant.
Conditions where kidney transplant is not the treatment of choice
- Advanced age.
- Severe heart disease.
- Active or recently treated cancer.
- Dementia or poorly controlled mental illness.
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.
Only one donated kidney is needed to replace two failed kidneys, making living-donor kidney transplantation an option. If a compatible living donor isn’t available, you can register on a kidney transplant waiting list to receive a kidney from a deceased donor as per the NOTTO waiting LIST.
(Author is Director – Urology, Andrology & Renal Transplant at BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi)
