Kidney transplant is a medical procedure in which a healthy kidney from a living or deceased donor is transplanted into a person whose kidneys have failed. You no longer require dialysis since the donor kidney takes over the functions of the two failing kidneys.

A kidney transplant procedure is a surgery in which a person receives a kidney from someone else.

1. Identifying a kidney that is an exact match

• There are two types of donations: monetary and non-monetary.

• Donation with a specific goal in mind. Your kidney is given to the person you choose. The donation centre will make contact with you directly.

• Donation that is not intended to be used for a specific purpose. Your kidney is given to a stranger in desperate need.

Evaluation and test

• Your doctor will conduct tests to ensure that you and your kidney are in good health before you donate.
• A blood type analysis is carried out. This guarantees that your blood type and the recipient’s blood type are compatible.

• Crossmatch should be checked. Before the transplant, doctors mix a sample of your blood with a sample of the recipient’s to see how they react. This prevents the recipient’s body from developing antibodies to your kidney, which could lead to death.

• HLA typing is a technique for determining if you and the receiver share certain immune system-related genetic markers. Even if you are not a good match, you may be able to donate a kidney.

More blood tests will be conducted.To find out how healthy your kidneys are.

• Urine tests are carried out. to determine the state of one’s health X-ray of the chest to determine one’s health To assess whether your lungs or heart are in good working order.
• Kidney examinations Your doctor conducted a CT or MRI scan of both of your kidneys before you donated one to make sure they were normal and healthy.

• EKG. This protects your heart’s health.

The whole medical examination Your doctor ordered this test to learn about your physiological changes so that he or she can decide whether you are healthy or not, as these factors can affect kidney donation. Among them are the following:

• Blood pressure that is too high
• Diabetes
• Disorder of  kidney is a condition that affects the kidneys
• Hepatitis is a disease of the liver.
• Coronary artery disease
• Cancer
• Abuse of drugs or alcohol

If you have HIV or hepatitis and a potential living donor, and the transplant team determines that they are a good match, they will be thoroughly evaluated at the transplant centre. If all goes well, you and your living donor will be scheduled for transplant surgery.

2-Being placed on a waiting list for a kidney transplant

• Your transplant clinic will first determine whether or not you are financially secure and whether or not your insurance covers all of these expenses. 
• After that, they’ll decide whether or not you’ll need a kidney transplant. If you don’t have a living donor, your transplant centre will put you on the kidney transplant waiting list and put you on dialysis.
• There are a few things to keep in mind while on the waitlist.
• A kidney transplant takes an average of more than three years to complete.
• If a kidney becomes available, you will be requested to supply multiple phone numbers, including your home, work, family, friends, and neighbours.

• If you have ESRD, you will need dialysis until a kidney can be found.
• When a kidney becomes available, you will be contacted by the local transplant centre and invited to come in for the rest of the procedure.
• After the kidney transplant centre reaches you, you only have a few hours to drive to the transplant centre.
• A call is a good indicator, but it does not guarantee that a kidney is present.
• On a regular basis, kidney transplant surgery is conducted on short notice.

Following your kidney doctor’s (nephrologist) recommendations and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help you stay on the donor list and prepare for surgery in the best possible condition.

Consult your renal social worker about the possibility of a kidney transplant as soon as possible.

3-Undergoing a kidney transplant surgery

Several novel approaches to kidney transplant surgery have been developed over the years.

On the receiving patient’s side, a big incision is frequently made. Your transplant surgeon will go over the entire operation with you and answer any questions you may have. Surgical instruments and techniques have advanced to the point where surgeons may now make the smallest incision feasible.

Depending on your situation, your surgeon may decide to remove or leave the damaged kidney(s).

Following the procedure, you will be hospitalised for several days and closely watched for complications.

• Some newly transplanted kidneys begin to function almost immediately. Others may be able to start working in as little as a few days.
• your new kidney does not operate correctly right away, you will be placed on dialysis.
• You’ll remain in the hospital until your doctors determine that the replacement kidney is functioning properly and that you’re healthy enough to return home.
• Your living donor can be released after a few days in the hospital.

4-keeping an eye on your kidney after it’s been transplanted

You’ll need to monitor your kidney transplant after it’s completed.

Your transplant specialist and nephrologists will require frequent follow-up visits and tests in the months following the transplant. They want to make sure your new kidney is functioning properly. Furthermore, your doctors will look for signs of a problem, such as:

• Infection
• Bleeding
• A narrowing of the artery leading to the kidneys is known as kidney stenosis.
• Clots in the artery or vein: Clots in the artery or vein can cause renal failure by cutting off blood flow.
• Weight gain due to renal rejection
• Hypertension is a condition in which the blood pressure is abnormally high.
• Immunosuppressive drugs may increase your risk of disease, including cancer.
• You will continue to be seen by your nephrologist for routine appointments.

5 How to Look After Your Kidney Transplant

After receiving a new kidney, it is critical to maintain healthy habits in order for your new kidney to function properly and give you years of service.

Taking prescribed medications is a necessary aspect of the transplant recovery process. Your doctor will prescribe immunosuppressants, which you will need to take for the duration of your replacement kidney.

Any pre-existing health concerns you had before the transplant will need to be managed as well, especially illnesses like diabetes or high blood pressure that contributed to your kidney damage in the first place.

What should I consume and what should I avoid after a kidney transplant?

You have more dietary alternatives after a kidney transplant than you would if you were on dialysis. However, you’ll need to work with a dietitian to come up with an eating plan that can adjust to your medications, test results, weight, and blood pressure.

You can eat and drink practically anything you want after your transplant. Avoid grapefruit, pomegranate, pomelo, blood orange, and black licorice because they can increase the amount of anti-rejection medication in your body, which can be dangerous.

What are the dangers of having a kidney transplant?

The donor kidney may start generating urine right soon or it may take many weeks. You’ll need dialysis to eliminate wastes, excess salt, and fluid from your body until your new kidney starts working.

Other complications that can occur following a kidney transplant are similar to those that can occur after other pelvic surgeries, and include:

Discomfort or numbness down the inner thigh caused by a hernia that usually goes away without treatment.

Transplant rejection is rare soon after surgery and can take days or weeks to show. Rejection is less common when the replacement kidney comes from a living donor than when it comes from a deceased donor.