A kidney transplant is a life-changing procedure that can dramatically improve the quality of your health. But it is important to understand that the transplant process is a long journey and that there are risks involved, both for your body and your new kidney.
If you are on dialysis, it's important to talk with your doctor about when a kidney transplant may be a good option for you. The sooner you start thinking about a transplant, the more likely it is to be successful. This is because your kidney function can worsen with time on dialysis, which increases the risk that you will become too frail to get a new kidney.
Kidney transplantation involves connecting the artery and vein of the donor kidney to blood vessels in the lower part of your abdomen, just above one of your legs. Then the kidney's ureter -- which carries urine to the bladder -- is connected to your bladder. Your own kidneys are left in place unless they are causing complications such as high blood pressure, pain, or infection.
In a recent study, researchers found that many factors can affect the outcomes of kidney transplant surgery. They included the age of the donor, the number of unmatched HLA antigens on the donor and recipient, and cold ischemia time (the length of time the kidney is chilled before being surgically placed in the abdomen).