A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure to place a healthy kidney from a living or deceased donor into a person whose kidneys no longer function properly. The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located on each side of the spine just below the rib cage.
As a three-site institution, Mayo Clinic has one of the largest living-donor kidney transplant and paired kidney donor programs in the United States. Our experts have pioneered many procedures, including living-donor kidney transplants and kidney transplant before dialysis is needed.
Their main function is to filter and remove waste, minerals and fluid from the blood by producing urine. When your kidneys lose this filtering ability, harmful levels of fluid and waste accumulate in your body, which can raise your blood pressure and result in kidney failure (end-stage kidney disease).
Your dietitian's recommendations after kidney transplant may include: Your dietitian may also recommend: Once you recover from your transplant surgery, exercise and physical activity should be a regular part of your life to continue improving your overall physical and mental health.
Alcohol or drug abuse. 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.
Why it's done. 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 help you feel better and live longer. Compared with dialysis, kidney transplant is associated with:
Your new kidney will make urine like your own kidneys did when they were healthy. Often this starts immediately. In other cases it may take several days, and you may need temporary dialysis until your new kidneys begin to function properly. Expect soreness or pain around the incision site while you're healing. Most kidney transplant recipients can return to work and other normal activities within eight weeks after transplant. No lifting objects weighing more than 10 pounds or exercise other than walking until the wound has healed (usually about six weeks after surgery).
At Mayo Clinic, surgeons perform more than 650 kidney transplants a year, including numerous complex surgical procedures at campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. As a three-site institution, Mayo Clinic has one of the largest living-donor kidney transplant and paired kidney donor programs in the United States.
A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure to place a healthy kidney from a living or deceased donor into a person whose kidneys no longer function properly.
If your doctor recommends a kidney transplant, you'll be referred to a transplant center . You're also free to select a transplant center on your own or choose a center from your insurance company's list of preferred providers.
People with end-stage renal disease need to have waste removed from their bloodstream via a machine (dialysis) or a kidney transplant to stay alive. At Mayo Clinic, health care professionals trained in many medical specialties work together as a team to ensure favorable outcomes from your kidney transplant.