Kidney Transplant

• When kidneys do not work well enough and are not expected to improve, people usually need either dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive.
• A kidney transplant is when a surgeon places a working kidney into a person with a failed kidney.
• A kidney transplant may be the best treatment for kidney failure.
• In general, patients who get a kidney transplant have better health, better quality of life, and experience lesser medical complications than on dialysis.

• Evaluation
  This evaluation can happen before you need dialysis and requires a complete health evaluation.
• Waiting list
  After evaluation, as per rules of local governing body, patient can be put on ZTCC waiting list as per law.

• Only 1 healthy kidney is needed to do the job of 2 failed kidneys.
• The healthy kidney can come from a living donor or from a person who has died.

While waiting for a kidney transplant, it’s important to stay healthy.

• Take your medications regularly.
• Eat healthy as advised and exercise
• Remain stress-free.

• Living kidney donors must have a complete medical exam to determine that they are healthy enough to donate and are a good match for the potential recipient.
• There are a few things to keep in mind when donating a kidney.
• Donating is a big commitment. Kidney donation involves major surgery. As with all surgeries, risks include bleeding, infection, and others.
• After the surgery, you will spend a few days in the hospital recovering.

Yearly checkups
After donation, it’s important to follow your doctor’s instructions, have a yearly checkup and monitor blood pressure and kidney function.

• You will spend at least 3-5 days in the hospital.
• You will have frequent checkups with your transplant team to make sure the donated kidney is working well.
• You will need to take medications for as long as the donated kidney is working in your body. This is to prevent your body from rejecting the transplanted kidney.