Basic Overview of Kidney Transplantation

Kidney transplantation (also called renal transplantation) is the a process of transplanting a healthy kidney to a patient who is experiencing kidney failure commonly known as End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).

This is a permanent condition which completely impairs the functionality of a persons kidneys and dialysis has to be performed to filter blood.

The transplantation process requires a surgical operation in which case a healthy kidney is implanted to the patient’s body and it thus assumes the roles formerly played by the failed kidneys. Normally, the failed kidneys are left in place though they have no responsibility.

Need for kidney transplant

The basic work of a kidney is to filter blood and form urine from excess water and waste products found in the blood such as excess minerals.

 
 

When a person experiences kidney failure, it means that both kidneys are not filtering blood. This risks the person to have excess toxic waste in one’s blood. If not watched out or addressed, this could turn to a series of other health complications and it’s potentially fatal.

Factors contributing to renal failure

Most kidney failures are a result of other medical conditions e.g. diabetes. When a patient develops kidney malfunction one is first subjected to clinical dialysis. This is an artificial mechanical filtration of blood to remove the toxic waste products and excess any water from the blood.

There is a regular period for dialysis normally a week or per the recommendations of a clinician making the whole process costly. This process can be continued for the rest of the life but is not a sustainable solution. Hence the need for a kidney transplants.

 
 

Transplants are more favorable because they provide the solution needed to filter blood and enable the patient to live a healthy and normal life with less complications or having to shield the burden of expensive medical costs of dialysis.

The kidney to be transplanted can come from a living donor or a deceased donor. The kidney donor and the recipient must be compatible to avoid the recipient’s immune system from rejecting the kidney transplanted.