Why is this procedure done?
A kidney transplant is done to replace a damaged kidney with a new healthy one. When your kidney is badly damaged, it cannot clean the bodys blood as well. This can cause very serious health problems. A kidney transplant may be needed when other treatment options fail to heal the kidney. ‚
The new kidney may come from: ‚
- A living person you are related to. This may be a parent, sibling, or child.
- A living person who is not related to you. This may be a friend or your spouse.
- A person who has recently died who is not related to you
Your old kidney may be left inside your body. The doctor may also remove your damaged kidney during the procedure if: ‚
- It is causing high blood pressure
- It is infected
- It is too big for your body
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What will the results be?
Your quality of life will improve. Your new kidney will be able to remove waste from your body through your urine. You will not need dialysis anymore. ‚
What happens before the procedure?
- Your doctor will take your history. Talk to your doctor about:
- All the drugs you are taking. Be sure to include all prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, and herbal supplements. Tell the doctor about any drug allergy. Bring a list of drugs you take with you. Special doctors who take care of transplant patients will also be involved in your care. They will put you on a transplant waiting list if you do not have a family member that can do it. Your rank on this list depends on how sick you are. The sicker you are, the higher on the list you are. The doctors will also make sure you are emotionally ready for such a big operation. It will be important for you to have help for friends and family after the surgery.
You will need to wait for a few days or weeks for a kidney donor. You will need to try to stay as healthy as you can while you are waiting. This will help you recover from surgery better. Your new kidney may come from a person in your family or a stranger. The doctors will do tests on both you and the donor when one is found. If you make a good match with the kidney, you will have your transplant surgery right away.
- Any bleeding problems. Be sure to tell your doctor if you are taking any drugs that may cause bleeding. Some of these are Coumadin ‚ ®, ibuprofen, Aleve ‚ ® (naproxen), or aspirin. Certain vitamins and herbs, such as garlic and fish oil, may also add to the risk for bleeding. You may need to stop these drugs as well. Talk to your doctor about them.
- When you need to stop eating or drinking before your procedure.
- Before you have your transplant, your doctor may test your:
- Blood and tissue to make sure your body will accept the new kidney.
- Skin, blood, urine, and sputum to check for any infections.
- Heart and lungs to look for early signs of any problems. The doctors want to make sure they can handle the stress of surgery.
- If the new kidney is from a living donor, both of you will have the surgery at the same time. If the kidney is from a person who has just died, your surgery will start as soon as you can make it to the operating room.
What happens during the procedure?
- Once you are in the operating room, you will be given a drug to make you sleepy. It will also help you stay pain free during the surgery. The staff will put an I.V. along your collar bone or in your neck to give you fluids and drugs.
- When you are asleep, the doctors put a tube in your mouth to help you breathe. They also put another small tube in your nose. This one goes down to your stomach to drain out any food or fluid that might come out during surgery.
- Your doctor will make a cut in your belly. Very carefully, the doctor takes out your sick kidney and puts in the new healthy one. It is attached to other parts of your body, such as blood vessels. Then, the doctor checks it to see that it is working well. After that, your cut site is closed with stitches or staples and covered with a bandage.
- Your doctor will make a cut on your belly. The new kidney is placed inside your belly. The doctor will connect the vein and artery of the new kidney to the blood vessels in your pelvis. The doctor will test if blood will flow through the new kidney. The tube that carries urine (ureter) is then attached to the bladder.
- Your doctor may leave your old kidney in place or may decide to remove it.
- The procedure takes about 3 hours.
What happens after the procedure?
- You will go to the Recovery Room and the staff will watch you closely. Your doctor may give you drugs for pain.
- Your new kidney most often starts to work once it is in place. The doctor will check your urine.
- You may have to stay in the hospital for 1 to 3 days.
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you understand everything the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Your doctor will give you drugs for pain and to prevent infection. Take them as ordered by your doctor.
- Talk to your doctor about how to care for your cut site. Ask your doctor about:
- When you should change your bandages
- When you may take a bath or shower
- If you need to be careful with lifting things over 10 pounds
- When you may go back to your normal activities like work, driving, or sex
- Keep track of your weight. Extra fluid in the body may cause weight gain.
- Check your blood pressure. Ask your doctor how to take your blood pressure the right way.
What follow-up care is needed?
You will need to take certain drugs daily for the rest of your life. This will help to keep your body from rejecting your new kidney. You will need to have blood tests done more often. They can measure the amount of drugs in your blood. These will also check to make sure your kidney is healthy. Be sure to keep all follow-up visits with your doctor. ‚
What lifestyle changes are needed?
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Exercise regularly. Talk with your doctor about the right amount of activity for you.
- Do not smoke or drink beer, wine, and mixed drinks (alcohol).
- Stay away from sick people. It is important to stay away from any infection because your immune system will be weakened.
- Ask your doctor about getting pregnant after a transplant.
What problems could happen?
- Your body may fight the new kidney
- The new kidney may not work
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Blood clots
- Cancer from the antirejection drugs
Where can I learn more?
National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse ‚
http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/transplant/ ‚
National Kidney Foundation ‚
http://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/kidneytransnewlease.cfm ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚