What Is A Kidney Transplant?

The surgical procedure of kidney transplant is the procedure in which a kidney taken from a donor is put into the body of a patient suffering from severe, chronic end stage renal disease. It is not a new procedure. For more than thirty years the first kidney transplant has been considered the treatment of choice for many patients with chronic end–stage renal disease. This part of the site is simply meant to help chronic kidney failure patients and their families understand what a kidney transplant is?.

Candidate for a Kidney Transplant

Ninety percent of the patients suffering from chronic end stage renal disease are potential candidates for a kidney transplant. There is no set age limit beyond which a transplant is not performed: Most patients, generally under the age of 70, are candidates for transplant, but general health and physical condition play a role as well. We have transplanted to our Center patients aged over 75 in excellent general condition.

Medical history, previous surgical procedures, including previous transplants, heart, lung or liver disease are also factored in for the inclusion on the transplant waiting list. During a nephrocardiac visit all of these elements are carefully evaluated for each patient to maximize all patient decisions.

What Kinds of Kidney Transplant can be Performed?

All kidney transplants today require a donor; at present only human kidneys can be transplanted into humans. Below we’ll review the two types of kidney donor.

Kidney donation from a living donor – A related or unrelated member of the family is most often the living donor. So kidney harvesting, like any surgical procedure under general anaesthetic, carries the same risks for the donor. The donated kidney might allow the other kidney (not the one being replaced) to do the work of the missing kidney too. There are no restrictions on lifestyle or physical activity, and no restrictions on living a normal life expectancy in living donors.

Donor: Deceased donor refers to donor who lost the brain trauma that brought him to the point of irreversibility. Donor kidneys are allocated to kidneys from deceased donors. Patients on the waiting list are selected of blood (AB0 group) and tissue (HLA) compatibility, and age class and waiting time on the list as recipients.

In each specific case there are many factors that contribute in order to determine which option is best. With the patient, our group of surgeons and nephrologists will look at all the different options and try to come to the best choice.

Can One Kidney Provide Sufficient Renal Function?

Usually, both kidneys will do fine with one of the kidneys only. On the other hand, over the last years the double kidney transplantation, i. e. the simultaneous power of two kidneys, has allowed the use of (more) older or marginally older donors without loss of satisfactory results, as the more functional kidney mass has been transplanted.

Where to start

The decision to have a kidney transplant involves your beliefs, your health and your age. Kidney transplantation – on the whole, transplantation decides compared to dialysis – will lead to a better quality of life and will prolong life. While transplantation is a serious medical procedure with many many medical emotional and lifestyle aspects you and your family will have to consider carefully. The Turquie Santé team then will discuss with you the risk and benefits of a transplant, the chances of success and what complications to expect.

How to make an appointment

For details on the assessment phase of your possible inclusion on the kidney transplant waiting list, contact Turquie Santé.

Medical assessment

If you decide to receive a kidney transplant in Turkey, the first step will be a medical examination carried out simultaneously by a nephrologist and a surgeon from the transplant team in Turkey. To ensure suitability for transplantation, a series of tests are required, including: