Kidney Transplant

About Kidney Transplant

A kidney transplant is performed for patients with end-stage kidney disease whose kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste from the blood, offering an alternative to long-term dialysis. The donor kidney, which may come from a living relative or approved living donor, or in some cases a deceased donor, is surgically placed in the recipient's lower abdomen and connected to nearby blood vessels and the bladder; the patient's own non-functioning kidneys are usually left in place. The surgery typically takes three to four hours under general anesthesia, and the transplanted kidney often begins producing urine within hours. Recipients require lifelong immunosuppressive medication to prevent rejection and are monitored closely in the early weeks for signs of rejection or infection. Living donors undergo a separate, generally laparoscopic procedure to remove one kidney, with most going on to live healthily with their remaining kidney. India's transplant centers carry out extensive living-donor kidney transplant work, including careful compatibility testing and donor safety evaluation. International patients typically need an accompanying donor where applicable and should plan for a stay of several weeks to allow for evaluation, surgery, and monitoring of early kidney function before returning home.