Kidney transplantation is a surgical procedure performed in the majority of patients with kidney disease.
At this surgical procedure, organs from a healthy donor kidney will be transplanted into patients suffering from kidney failure.
Only one that needs to be transplanted kidneys. A person can live a healthy life even if only one functioning kidney.
Qualifications for Kidney Transplant
Your doctor will evaluate the patient to determine whether he would be a good candidate for a kidney transplant.
A patient must be healthy enough to undergo surgery and taking immunosuppressive drugs.
Immunosuppressive drugs will help the body to not reject the donor organ. The medication must be taken for the rest of the patient's life.
Taking immunosuppressive drugs is a necessity, but these drugs have side effects, one of which is a weakening of the immune system.
Kidney donor
For kidney transplants, there are two types of donors are living donors and deceased donors.
Living donors usually come from family members or close friends.
While kidneys from deceased donors come from someone who has died but has a healthy kidney.
For kidney from a deceased donor is usually a waiting list because there will be more patients who need a kidney than is available.
suitability
Although existing kidney from either a living donor or deceased, but still required a match between patient and donor.
Kidney donor must match the type of the body's blood and tissues of kidney recipients (patients).
Several tests and medical examinations should be performed both in patients and potential donors to determine whether the kidney would be suitable or not.
If a patient is placed on a waiting list, information on blood and tissue types will be included in the waiting list file.
waiting list
If the patient will receive a kidney from a living donor, the operation can be carried out after a match is declared.
If Pasian requires a deceased donor, then he will be put on a waiting list.
The average waiting time for a donor kidney is approximately 3 to 5 years. When a donor organ is available, will be selected from the list of the most appropriate patients to receive a transplant.
Transplantation should be made available as soon as the kidney. Health care workers will be calling patients to tell that the donor kidney was available.
Patients should immediately come to the hospital to undergo the transplant procedure after he got the news.
Transplantation Surgery Procedures
When a donor kidney is available, the doctor will perform tests and inspections to verify the suitability of the organ.
Ketelah suitability verified, the patient will be taken to the operating room. The process of kidney transplant surgery usually lasts between 2 to 4 hours.
Donor kidney will be attached to the bladder and blood vessels, while the patient had kidney will still be left in place.
Kidney patients will only be lifted if exposed to infection or too large to allow the placement of a new kidney.
After the Kidney Transplant Surgery
After kidney transplant surgery is done, the patient will be given immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection of the donor organ by the body.
Health officials will oversee the patient to ensure that the new kidney to function properly.
Sometimes patients may require dialysis for several days while waiting for a new kidney healed and strong enough to work well.
Once the kidneys are functioning and working well and healthy condition of the patient, then the patient is allowed to go home. Some patients can go home within 5 days after surgery.
Follow-up care (Follow-up Care)
A patient who received a kidney donor must take immunosuppressive drugs for the rest of his life.
Patients should also visit the doctor regularly for tests and early detection of any problems that may arise.
Rejection of the new kidney will always exist, although the risk will decrease after a few months.
Refusal or health problems that can be detected as early as possible, the better the chances to be addressed.
In addition to treatment follow-up (follow-up care), most patients can live a normal life after undergoing a kidney transplant. (How Does a Kidney Transplant Work)
