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Kidney Transplantation

By

Martin Hertl

, MD, PhD, Rush University Medical Center

Reviewed/Revised Aug 2022 | Modified Sep 2022
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Kidney transplantation is the removal of a healthy kidney from a living or recently deceased person and then its transfer into a person with end-stage kidney failure.

For people of all ages who have irreversible kidney failure Overview of Kidney Failure Kidney failure is the inability of the kidneys to adequately filter metabolic waste products from the blood. Kidney failure has many possible causes. Some lead to a rapid decline in kidney function... read more , kidney transplantation is a lifesaving alternative to dialysis. Kidney transplantation is the most common type of organ transplantation procedure.

Kidney transplantation is indicated when people have

  • Advanced, irreversible kidney failure

People in their 70s and sometimes 80s may qualify for transplants if the following apply:

  • They are healthy in other respects, can function independently, and have good social support.

  • They are expected to live a reasonably long time.

  • Transplantation is likely to substantially improve their ability to function and their quality of life beyond simply freeing them from dialysis.

Kidney transplantation is not done (is contraindicated) if people have certain disorders, such as a severe heart disorder or cancer. Some disorders that previously meant kidney transplantation could not be done (absolute contraindications) are now considered relative contraindications (meaning that transplantation may be possible with special precautions) because there are drugs to control them. For example, special precautions are carried out when people have poorly controlled diabetes Diabetes Mellitus (DM) Diabetes mellitus is a disorder in which the body does not produce enough or respond normally to insulin, causing blood sugar (glucose) levels to be abnormally high. Symptoms of diabetes may... read more (which can result in kidney failure) or certain viral infections (such as advanced hepatitis C) that may be made worse by taking the drugs required to prevent rejection after transplantation Suppression of the Immune System Transplantation is the removal of living, functioning cells, tissues, or organs from the body and then their transfer back into the same body or into a different body. The most common type of... read more . These drugs inhibit the immune system and thus make it less able to defend the body against infection.

One year after transplantation, about 95% of kidney recipients are alive. The percentage of transplanted kidneys still functioning is

  • For kidneys from living donors: About 95%

  • For kidneys from deceased donors: About 90%

Each year thereafter, about 3 to 5% of kidneys from living donors and about 5 to 8% of those from deceased donors stop functioning. Transplanted kidneys sometimes function for more than 30 years.

People with successful kidney transplants can usually lead normal, active lives.

Donors

More than one half of transplanted kidneys come from previously healthy, deceased donors. About one third of these kidneys are damaged but are used because the demand is so great. The rest of transplanted kidneys come from living donors. Donation from a living donor is possible because the donor can live with one healthy kidney.

Procedure for Kidney Transplantation

The kidneys are removed from the donor, usually using thin instruments and a small video camera inserted through several tiny incisions (laparoscopic surgery). Occasionally, a larger incision (open surgery) is required. After removal, the kidney is cooled and transported quickly to a medical center for transplantation to a person who has a compatible blood and tissue type and who does not make antibodies to the tissues of the donor.

Kidney transplantation is a major operation. The person receiving the kidney is usually on dialysis Dialysis Dialysis is an artificial process for removing waste products and excess fluids from the body, a process that is needed when the kidneys are not functioning properly. There are a number of reasons... read more Dialysis in the months or years before the transplant procedure. The donated kidney is placed in the pelvis through an incision and is attached to the recipient’s blood vessels and bladder. Usually, the nonfunctioning kidneys are left in place. Occasionally, they are removed because infection develops and does not resolve.

Drugs to inhibit the immune system (immunosuppressants Suppression of the Immune System Transplantation is the removal of living, functioning cells, tissues, or organs from the body and then their transfer back into the same body or into a different body. The most common type of... read more ), including corticosteroids, are started the day of transplantation. These drugs can help reduce the risk that the recipient will reject the transplanted kidney.

Complications of Kidney Transplantation

Rejection

Even if tissue types are closely matched, transplanted organs, unlike transfused blood, are usually rejected unless measures are taken to prevent rejection. Rejection results from an attack by the recipient's immune system on the transplanted organ, which the immune system recognizes as foreign material. Rejection can be mild and easily controlled or severe, resulting in destruction of the transplanted organ.

Despite the use of immunosuppressants, one or more episodes of rejection may occur after kidney transplantation.

Acute rejection occurs within 3 to 4 months of kidney transplantation. It can be accompanied by fever, decreased urine production with weight gain, pain and swelling of the kidney, and elevated blood pressure. Blood tests show deteriorating kidney function. Because these symptoms can also result from infections or use of a drug, the diagnosis of rejection sometimes needs to be confirmed with a needle biopsy of the kidney.

Chronic rejection that develops over many months to years is relatively common and causes kidney function to gradually deteriorate.

Rejection can usually be effectively treated with high doses of corticosteroids or antilymphocyte globulin. If these drugs are ineffective, they are gradually stopped, and dialysis must be started again. Dialysis is continued until another kidney transplant is available.

The rejected kidney may be left in place unless fever, tenderness, or blood in the urine persists. The chance of success with second transplants is almost as good as that with first transplants.

Cancer

Compared with the general population, kidney transplant recipients are about 10 to 15 times more likely to develop cancer, probably because the immune system helps defend the body against cancer as well as infections. Cancer of the lymphatic system (lymphoma Overview of Lymphoma Lymphomas are cancers of lymphocytes, which reside in the lymphatic system and in blood-forming organs. Lymphomas are cancers of a specific type of white blood cells known as lymphocytes. These... read more Overview of Lymphoma ) is 30 times more common among kidney transplant recipients than the general population, but lymphoma is still uncommon. Skin cancer is common.

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