Our one-year survival rates for kidney transplant are nearly 98 percent, so you can take comfort that you’ll receive the best care available at INTEGRIS Health.
An organ transplant is one of the most challenging surgeries and outcomes are only as good as external factors and surgeon performance allow. At INTEGRIS Health we offer world class individualized outcomes for kidney transplants from both living and deceased donors, from one of the largest and most experienced transplant teams in the U.S. The highly-skilled team of physicians and surgeons at INTEGRIS Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute offer kidney transplant recipients a streamlined patient evaluation process, desensitization program, living donor domino program, multi-organ transplants and a dedicated transplant intensive care unit. And with one-year survival rates above the national average, you can take comfort that you’ll receive the best care available at INTEGRIS Health.
Of all organ transplants, kidney transplants are the most common and offer the most flexibility. Patients can receive a kidney from a healthy living donor, a deceased donor or through the paired kidney donation program. This option comes into play when a living donor is incompatible with the recipient, and so chooses to exchange kidneys with another donor and recipient pair. One healthy kidney is able to perform the functions previously done by two kidneys.
Learn about the living donor kidney transplant program at INTEGRIS Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute.
We have outstanding outcomes, click here to see the SRTR report.
A kidney transplant is a surgery done to replace a diseased kidney with a healthy kidney from a donor. The kidney may come from a deceased organ donor or from a living donor. Family members or others who are a good match may be able to donate one of their kidneys. This type of transplant is called a living transplant. People who donate a kidney can live healthy lives with one healthy kidney.
A person getting a transplant most often gets just 1 kidney. In rare situations, he or she may get 2 kidneys from a deceased donor. The diseased kidneys are usually left in place. The transplanted kidney is placed in the lower belly on the front side of the body.
You may need a kidney transplant if you have end stage renal disease (ESRD). This is a permanent condition of kidney failure. It often needs dialysis. This is a process used to remove wastes and other substances from the blood.
The Kidneys:
Some conditions of the kidneys that may result in end stage renal disease include:
Other conditions, such as congenital defects of the kidneys, may result in the need for a kidney transplant. There may be other reasons for your healthcare provider to recommend a kidney transplant.
If your provider thinks you may be a good candidate for a kidney transplant, he or she will refer you to a transplant center for evaluation.
A transplant team carries out the evaluation process for a kidney. The team will include:
The evaluation includes:
The transplant team will weigh all the facts from interviews, your medical history, physical exam, and tests to determine your eligibility for kidney transplantation.
Not everyone is a candidate for kidney transplantation. You may not be eligible if you have:
As with any surgery, complications can occur. Some complications may include:
The new kidney may be rejected. Rejection is a normal reaction of the body to a foreign object or tissue. When a new kidney is transplanted into a recipient's body, the immune system reacts to what it thinks as a threat and attacks the new organ. For a transplanted organ to survive, medicines must be taken to trick the immune system into accepting the transplant and not attacking it as a foreign object.
The medicines used to prevent or treat rejection have side effects. The exact side effects will depend on the specific medicines that are taken.
There may be other risks depending on your specific medical condition. Be sure to discuss any concerns with your transplant team before the procedure.
To get a kidney from an organ donor who has died (cadaver), you must be placed on a waiting list of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). Extensive testing must be done before you can be placed on the transplant list.
Once you have been accepted as a transplant candidate, you will be placed on the UNOS list. When a donor organ becomes available, you will be notified and told to come to the hospital right away.
If you are to get a kidney from a living family member (living-related transplant), the transplant may be done at a planned time. The donor must have a compatible blood type and be in good health. A mental health check will be done to be sure the donor is comfortable with the decision.
These steps will happen before the transplant:
A kidney transplant requires a stay in a hospital. Procedures may vary depending on your condition and your healthcare provider's practices.
Generally, a kidney transplant follows this process:
Talk with your healthcare provider about what you will go through during your kidney transplant.
In the Hospital
At Home
Tell your healthcare provider if you have:
Fever and tenderness over the kidney are some of the most common symptoms of rejection. A rise in your blood creatinine level (blood test to measure kidney function) and/or blood pressure may also suggest rejection. The symptoms of rejection may look like other medical conditions or problems. Talk with your transplant team with any concerns you have. Frequent visits to and contact with the transplant team are vital.
Avoid places in which you may be exposed to anyone who may be sick. This is because your immune system will be suppressed to protect you from rejecting the new kidney. This will be a lifelong precaution.
Your healthcare team may give you other instructions after the procedure, depending on your situation.
To allow the transplanted kidney to survive in your body, you will be given medicines for the rest of your life to fight rejection. Each person may react differently to medicines.
New antirejection medicines are continually being developed and approved. Your healthcare team will tailor medicine regimes to meet your needs.
Usually several antirejection medicines are given at first. The doses of these medicines may change often, depending on your response. Because antirejection medicines affect the immune system you will be at higher risk for infections. A balance must be maintained between preventing rejection and making you very susceptible to infection.
Some of the infections you will be especially at risk for include oral yeast infection (thrush), herpes, and respiratory viruses. Avoid contact with crowds and anyone who has an infection for the first few months after your surgery.
Before you agree to the test or the procedure make sure you know:
We strive to provide you with care that’s not only the best available, but care that’s convenient and as close to home as possible. These INTEGRIS Health locations near you are ready to help.
