Transplantation

Transplantation

Although transplantation isn't for everyone, many determine that an organ transplant increases their chance for a better quality of life. Dialysis acts as an aid to continue life, but it is no cure for chronic kidney failure. On the other hand, transplantation for those with renal failure is the closest thing to it. If you're considering transplantation, you need to discuss all of the advantages and disadvantages before taking this course of action:

Treatment of Choice

In fact, renal transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with chronic renal failure. With recent success rates approaching 90 percent after one year and average graft lifetimes in excess of 10 years, this procedure seems to be a cost-effective alternative to dialysis. In addition, research also indicates that patients having renal transplantation live longer than those with dialysis. Increasingly, patients are being referred for transplant evaluation... leading to longer wait times for organ donations. However, living donations have increased with the introduction of laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy. In some cases, kidney transplantation alone is not the optimal treatment. Be sure to discuss all your advantages and disadvantages with our specialists.

What Happens During a Renal Transplant

Renal transplantation typically takes three to four hours and requires a hospital stay for about a week, with regular follow-up visits afterward. During the procedure, a surgeon places a donated kidney inside your lower abdomen and connects the artery and vein of the new kidney to yours. In this way, your blood will flow through the donated kidney, resulting in your own kidneys making urine just as they did when they were healthy. The donated kidney may start working right away, or it may take a few weeks, but if your own kidneys don't cause an infection (rejection) or high blood pressure, then the transplant will be a success and renal function will be restored.

After the Procedure

Many patients are eligible for a kidney transplant and can look forward to regaining successful kidney function after the procedure. Of course, the best possible source for an organ is a close relative whose blood and tissue type match yours, but if that's not possible, then there are other sources including cadavers and other living donors, such as spouses, friends, or even strangers. If a living donor is unavailable, you will be placed on a waiting list.

Finding a Good Match

When finding a match, our transplant team will consider three factors to help them predict whether your body's immune system will accept or reject the new kidney:

1) Blood type The most important factor, it must be compatible with the donor's.

2) Human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) Your cells have six: three from each parent. This is why family members are most likely to have a complete match. A complete HLA match is not required as long as the blood type matches and other tests are negative.

3) Cross-matching antigens A small sample of your blood is mixed with a sample of the donor's to see if there's a reaction. If none occurs, the result is called a negative and the transplant operation can proceed.

At Illinois Kidney Disease and Hypertension Center, our staff utilizes the most recent research and equipment to offer the highest level of care, along with the latest laparoscopic methods. Research indicates that almost 90 percent of transplants from deceased donors are working one year after surgery, with transplants from living relatives working even better. In addition, the new anti-rejection drugs have improved the success rate for transplants from organ donations received from those who are not blood relatives... and new research reveals more good news every day. And, in the event that a transplanted kidney fails, a second transplant may be a good option for many patients.