LIVE KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION:
As kidneys become diseased, they lose their ability to function, a condition called end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or kidney failure. Treatments for kidney failure are hemodialysis, a mechanical process to clean the blood of waste products; peritoneal dialysis, in which toxins are removed by passing chemical solutions through the abdomen or kidney transplant. Donating a kidney is the most frequent type of living organ donation. A living kidney transplant is the most successful of all transplant procedures. Other organs which can be donated via living donation are part of the liver, lung, small bowel and pancreas.
PROCEDURE:
Surgery may last from two to four hours. During the operation, the kidney is placed in your pelvis rather than the usual kidney location in the back. (Your own kidney will not be removed.)
The artery that carries blood to the kidney and the vein that removes blood from it are surgically connected to two blood vessels in the pelvis.
The ureter, or tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder, is transplanted through an incision in the bladder.
After the operation, patient will remain in the recovery room for a few hours and then return to the Kidney Transplant Unit. The surgeon will inform your family when the procedure is over.
Patient will be encouraged to get out of bed 12 to 24 hours after surgery and walk as much as. Nurses will instruct you in taking your medications and explain the side effects and discuss making lifestyle changes.
Most transplant recipients must take medication called immunosuppressants to prevent rejection of the transplanted organ.
One of the side effects of these anti-rejection drugs is an increased risk for cancer, particularly skin cancer and lymphoma. Patient should be closely monitored for these conditions.
Living donor kidney transplants are the best option for many patients for several reasons: Better long-term results, no need to wait on the transplant waiting list for a kidney from a deceased donor, surgery can be planned at a time convenient for both the donor and recipient, lower risks of complications or rejection, and better early function of the transplanted kidney.
