The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs on each side of the spine just below the rib cage. The kidney’s primary function is to filter and clear waste, minerals, and fluid from the blood by producing urine.
They also help to keep your body’s fluid and electrolyte balance. When kidneys lose the filtering capacity, harmful levels of fluid and waste accumulate in the body, which can increase blood pressure and result in kidney failure. People who has kidney failure will undergo a treatment usually called dialysis. This treatment mechanically filters waste in the bloodstream when the kidneys end their function.
Kidney transplant surgery is a major surgery during which a person with kidney failure acquires a new kidney, either from a living donor or a dead donor. A successful kidney transplant is nearest to natural kidney function and is regarded as the most effective treatment for ESRD. It will offer a chance for a longer and healthier life. Here you look at kidney transplants in detail:
Kidney Transplant Surgery
Kidney transplant or renal transplant surgery refers to replacing an unhealthy kidney with a donated kidney from a living donor or a deceased donor. Kidney transplants are performed with general anesthesia, so you are not awake during the surgery. The surgical team monitors your heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen level throughout the procedure.
You only require one working kidney to be healthy, so only one kidney is transplanted during surgery. Your two original kidneys will usually remain in place, and the new donor kidney will be placed in another area of your abdomen.
The urine tube attached to the donor’s kidney will then be affixed to your bladder. If the kidney transplant surgery is successful, your new kidney will carry over the charges of purifying your blood and making urine, just like your kidneys did before the disease.
Purpose of Kidney Transplant
The purpose of kidney transplants is often required when the kidney fails to function, especially at the end stage of renal disease. Here are the list of causes of kidney failure:
- Polycystic Kidney Disease– Polycystic Kidney Disease is an inherited and congenital kidney disease that develops fluid-filled cysts in the kidneys, causing the process of purifying the waste.
- Type 2 Diabetes – Type 2 Diabetes increases blood sugar levels when the body fails to metabolize glucose, and the excess sugar kills blood filtering units in the kidneys leading to kidney failure.
- Glomerulonephritis– Glomeruli are little kidney units that filter out fluid, waste, and electrolytes from blood. When Glomeruli get swallowed, it is called Glomerulonephritis.
- Severe defects in Urinary tracts
- Repeated Urinary Infections
- Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome– A disorder that cause kidney failure.
- Immune system diseases such as Lupus– This is an autoimmune disease which means the system that usually fights infections attacks healthy tissues.
The Procedure of a Kidney Transplant
To prepare for the kidney transplant, the doctor will ask specific questions to the patients. And they will check and ask patient to fast for at least eight hours before starting the surgery. The doctor will also take the consent of the patient pre-surgery in a consent form, and then routine kidney dialysis will be performed.
When the surgery of kidney transplant start, general anesthesia will be given to the patient to calm the patient’s nerves, after which a tube will be inserted into the patient’s lungs to allow them to breathe with the support of a ventilator. Catheters will be put in arms, neck, and wrist to monitor blood pressure, oxygen levels, and heart rate.
The renal procedure starts an incision in the lower part of the abdomen, and the kidney is placed inside it. The diseased or failed kidneys will not be removed unless there are certain complications and they are left in their place. Further, the new kidney’s blood vessels are surgically attached to the lower abdomen’s blood vessels. The ureter is a tube affixed from the kidneys to the bladder and takes urine from the kidney to the bladder. The new kidneys’ ureter or tube is attached to the patient’s bladder. Therefore, the incision is surgically stitched or pinned.
Recovery from Kidney Transplant
Hospital recovery for a kidney transplant is usually four to five days if there are no complications. The length of stay leans on your medical state and essentials. In below there are the essential points to follow up a healthy maintenance:
- You play an vital role
You also have a vital role in your recovery and your new treatment’s success. Be sure to obey the instructions of your doctors. Keep lab and doctor appointments, and call your transplant coordinator if there are any issues.
- Follow-up care
- You should visit hospital for thorough checkup. Your kidney transplant team will continue observing your improvement and handle any questions you have. After discharge from the clinic, a post-transplant coordinator will be your primary contact for long-term follow-up care.
- During the first year after your transplant, you would see the kidney transplant team weekly or every other week. As your condition stabilizes, you will return to the care of your nephrologist.
- You should see your transplant team every year, near the anniversary of your transplant. It will thoroughly assess your progress and examine any health concerns you may have.
Best Countries for Kidney Transplant Treatment
A kidney transplant is usually considered the second chance at life for patients whose kidneys have lost the ability to perform their function. However, the patient is advised to undergo a kidney transplant for end-stage renal disease. A kidney transplant will work to replace a set of diseased and non-functional kidneys with a healthier one.
Once the patient opts for the procedure, the following step is finding a donor. And once the patient has a donor, the next step is determining where to undergo the kidney transplant. Treatment is quick, effective, and affordable in many countries where a patient can easily experience a kidney transplant. In this case, the history of renal transplantation in Turkey continues for five decades. Since then, the annual number of kidney transplant in Turkey has steadily risen. Along with the governance, kidney transplant hospitals in Turkey play a dynamic role in providing the best form of inexpensive and timely treatment.
Final Thoughts
In the above section, you will learn about the details of a kidney transplant. If you have chronic kidney disease, a kidney transplant can reject the need for dialysis and give you a new lease on life. Before resolving treatment, be sure to consult all of your options with your healthcare provider.
