Introduction

 

A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure in which a healthy kidney from another person replaces a diseased kidney. A living donor or a deceased organ donor can provide the kidney. One kidney may be donated by family members or individuals who are not related but are a good match. A living transplant is a name given to this kind of transplant. 

 

A person needing a kidney transplant typically receives only one kidney, but a deceased donor may donate two kidneys in exceptional circumstances. During kidney transplantation, the diseased kidneys are typically left in place. And the new kidney is planted toward the front of the abdomen.

 

Types of kidney transplants 

 

If you need kidney transplantation, you must be aware of the types and kidney transplant cost for the perfect recovery. There are three types of kidney transplants, they are 

 

1. Deceased donor: An individual from whom at least one healthy organ is recovered for transplantation after suffering brain or cardiac death. 

 

1. Expanded criteria donor (ECD): A deceased donor over 60. An ECD kidney may be recommended to candidates over age 60 or those with a history of diabetes over 50. 

 

1. Living donors: Living donors are usually people who are related to the recipient through either blood or emotion.

 

Why you should get your kidney transplanted

 

In the last ten years, the survival rates for deceased donor transplants have increased, from 42.3% in 1996–1999 to 53.6% in 2008–2011, and 10-year patient survival rates have increased from 60.5% in 1996–1999 to 66.9% in 2008–2011.

 

Those who have co-morbidities like type 2 diabetes, advanced age, obesity, or HLA mismatches, as well as those who have received a kidney transplant, have a better chance of survival than those who are on long-term dialysis without receiving a kidney transplant. With a kidney transplant, people typically have more energy, can eat more freely, and experience fewer complications than with conventional dialysis.

 

According to some studies, the kidney's lifespan decreases the longer a patient is on dialysis before the transplant.

 

When is a kidney transplant recommended?

 

A kidney transplant is recommended if a person has severe kidney dysfunction and cannot live without dialysis or a transplant. The following conditions are examples of kidney diseases for which transplants are performed: Kidney transplantation is not needed in every case of the following diseases. For a diagnosis, you should always see your doctor. 

Dr. Shyam Bihari Bansal is the Director of Medanta’s Institute of Nephrology and Kidney Transplant. Dr. Bansal has been trained in Nephrology in SGPGIMS Lucknow, which is considered one of the best institutes for Nephrology in India. 

 

Hydronephrosis-causing congenital renal obstructive disorders, such as the following:

 

• Ureteropelvic junction obstruction
• Vesicoureteral reflux
• Posterior urethral valves
• Prune belly syndrome
• Megaureter
• Congenital nephrotic syndrome
• Alport syndrome
• Nephropathic and juvenile cystinosis

 

The main benefit of a kidney transplant is that your doctor can now perform the same surgeries that used to require large open incisions with just a few dime-sized incisions and an 8-centimeter incision below your belly button. This reduces your pain and scars, significantly shortens your hospital stay, and speeds up your recovery from surgery.

 

How is the kidney transplanted?

 

A person with ESRD must undergo a comprehensive medical examination to ensure they are healthy enough to undergo surgery before receiving a kidney transplant. They may be added to a waiting list to receive a kidney from a deceased donor if they are determined to be a suitable candidate. 

 

The new kidney is typically implanted in the lower abdomen, or belly, during transplant surgery; unless there is a medical reason to do so, the person's two native kidneys are typically not removed. People with ESRD who receive a kidney transplant live longer and may have a better quality of life than those on dialysis. 

 

The transplant procedure takes about three hours to complete. The donor kidney will be inserted into the lower abdomen, and its blood vessels will be connected to the veins and arteries in the recipient's body. Blood will be allowed to flow through the kidney once this is finished. Connecting the donor kidney's ureter to the bladder is the final step. The kidney will typically begin producing urine shortly after.

 

The new kidney typically begins functioning immediately, depending on its functionality. It typically takes living donor kidneys between three and five days to reach normal functioning levels, whereas cadaveric donations take between seven and fifteen days. A typical hospital stay lasts four to ten days. Additional medications, such as diuretics, may be given to the kidney to assist in the production of urine in the event of complications.

 

It is estimated that approximately 80,000 people on the national transplant waiting list are hypersensitive to the markers on the surface of the donor's kidneys. One of only a few medical facilities nationwide, Stanford Hospital's Kidney Transplant Program has a rigorous desensitization program for both deceased and living donor transplants. 

 

Care required after the transplant

 

Your body naturally reacts poorly to the presence of foreign substances. Your body would probably consider a new kidney foreign, or more specifically, the antigens associated with that kidney. Without a treatment plan for desensitization before surgery, your immune system would produce antibodies that reject organs and would ensure that your transplant would be unsuccessful.

 

However, to prevent the body from rejecting the new kidney, kidney transplant recipients must remain on immunosuppressants—medicines that suppress the immune system—for the rest of their lives. Due to this persistent immunosuppression, they are more likely to develop infections and kidney cancer. Cellular rejection and antibody-mediated rejection are two types of kidney transplant rejection.

 

The severity of antibody-mediated rejection can be classified as hyperacute, acute, or chronic, depending on how long after the transplant. A kidney biopsy should be taken if the rejection is thought to be occurring. Monitoring the new kidney's function regularly with tests like serum creatinine is critical; for the rest of the person's life, this needs to be done at least once every three months.

 

Conclusion

 

A kidney transplant can extend a person's life. With a kidney transplant, the typical patient will live 10 to 15 years longer than if kept on dialysis. Even though 75-year-old recipients—the oldest group for which data are available—gain an average of four more years of life, the increase in longevity is greater for younger patients. At Medanta, you can reach for the best doctors to understand and treat your kidney problems well. Since the kidney transplant cost is high, their healthcare plans may help you somewhere.