All You Need to Know About Kidney Transplant: Procedure and Risks
The kidney is one of the most important organs in the human body. It helps in keeping the balance of chemicals such as calcium, potassium, and sodium by removing excess water and waste from the body. If kidneys get affected, it is likely to lead to several health problems. With severe forms of kidney diseases, patients may experience kidney failure, resulting in the need for a kidney transplant at a kidney transplant hospital in Mumbai.
Kidney Transplant
A kidney transplant is a surgery that is done to replace a diseased kidney that does not work properly with a healthy kidney.
The Procedure
· Step 1 – Determination of Blood Type & Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) of the Kidney Patient
· Step 2 – Matching of Blood Type & HLA to Find Potential Kidney Donor
· Step 3 – Checking Compatibility of Donor’s Blood with Patient’s Blood
· Step 4 – Scheduling Kidney Transplant
· Step 5 – Injecting General Anesthesia through an Intravenous (IV) into the Body
· Step 6 – Making Incision in the Abdomen
· Step 7 – Replacing the Failed Kidney with a Donated, Healthy Kidney
· Step 8 – Connecting Veins & Arteries of the Body to the New Donated Kidney for Blood Supply
· Step 9 – Attaching Ureter of New Kidney to the Bladder
· Step 10 – Monitoring Vital Signs of the Patient & Donor After Kidney Transplant
· Step 11 – Recovery in Hospital for Around 1 Week
· Step 12 – Medications Given to Patient to Avoid Complication and Rejection of Donated Kidney
· Step 13 – Instructions are Given to Patient for Medicine
· Step 14 – Counseling of Patients After Surgery
· Step 15 – Patient is Discharged After Recovery & Healing
· Step 16 – Regular Check-Up is Scheduled for Patient for Evaluation by Kidney Transplant Team
· Step 17 – Additional Medicines are Given to Decrease Risk of Infection
· Step 18 – Patient is asked to Notice Warning Signs of Kidney Rejection such as flu-like symptoms, swelling, and pain
Risks of Kidney Transplant
Following are the risks associated with a kidney transplant:
· Stroke
· Heart Attack
· Failure of Donated Kidney
· Rejection of Donated Kidney
· Infection
· Ureter Blockage
· Ureter Leakage
· Blood Clotting
· Bleeding
· Allergy to Anesthesia
One of the most dangerous risks of kidney transplants is the rejection of the donated kidney in the body. Normally, the chances of rejections are low because the blood and HLA are matched before kidney surgery.
Patients are required to consult the doctor regularly for a check-up after kidney transplant for the first 1 or 2 months. Total recovery time can take up to 6 months.