A kidney transplant is an operation that puts a healthy kidney into your body. The new kidney takes over the work of your two failed kidneys, so you no longer need dialysis.
The operation
The surgeon places the new kidney in your lower abdomen and connects its artery and vein to yours. Often it starts making urine as soon as blood flows through it — but sometimes it takes a few weeks to start working.
Where kidneys come from
| Donor | |
|---|---|
| Donors who have died | the source of many transplanted kidneys |
| A living family member | the source of some |
The wait for a kidney can be long.
Afterwards
You must take medicines for the rest of your life to keep your body from rejecting the new kidney.
Sources
Based on the MedlinePlus health topic "Kidney Transplantation," National Library of Medicine, drawing on the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from medlineplus.gov
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