How Does a Kidney Transplant Work?

First and foremost, it is very important to find a suitable donor but this process is quiet lengthy and takes a lot of time in terms of getting that correct match of donor so as to avoid any complications. Also there would be slight changes in the procedure in terms of when the donor is dead and when the donor is alive. The time period till when the kidney can be used is also of utmost importance in the transplantation process.

• Once there has been an ok sign from the transplant team that there is a kidney available for an individual then it becomes important to reach the hospital as soon as possible.
• As soon as you reach the hospital and get the details from the doctor, they would get you admitted and then you would be subjected to physical examination such as blood tests, as well as chest X-rays. In case if the donor is alive then they would also be given a physical examination along with chest x-ray and blood test. It is very much important to determine whether the patient as well as the live donor is healthy and ready for the further process.
• If the patient who needs to undergo the surgery suffers from any infection or has fever, then the surgery would most likely get postponed and in case if the donor of the kidney is alive then they would be reserved for later use or their donated kidney can be used by some other recipient.
• Now is the time to prepare for the surgery of transplantation wherein before the surgery starts, the hair present on the chest as well as the abdomen would be shaved and also the individual would be given a laxative for cleaning out the gut and at the same time to reduce the chances of constipation happening post the surgery.
• The individual would be administered a general anesthesia which would keep him or her asleep during the surgery process. In certain cases, they can be also given local anesthesia in case if there is a need for carrying out incision. The patient would be monitored properly while the incision is made and when the old kidney is removed from the body. The new kidney would be replaced in place of old kidney and also all the essential parts would be attached back carefully. The doctor would also attach the ureter back to the bladder. In few cases, there would be a small drain to be inserted into the abdomen so as to drain out any excess fluid buildup. The patient would be then sewn again and close watch would be kept.
• Once the surgery has been completed the patient would be shifted to the ICU where the status would be monitored by certain medical professionals until the effects of the anesthesia fades away and the patient would wake up.
• The patient would be asked to cough for keeping their lungs clear.
• The doctor would also insert a catheter into the body so as to help drain out the urine from the bladder.
• The doctor would also insert a drain very close to the incision during the process of surgery for speeding up the removal of fluid and this drain would stay there for ten days post the surgery.
• Dialysis also helps in supplementing the process of transplantation so as to get rid of any excess fluids along with any toxins.
• In certain rare cases the patient would be monitored from time to time for laboratory results, use of medicines as well as any exercises required so as to help in keeping track of the recovery.