A kidney transplant places a single healthy kidney from a donor into your body to take over the work of your failed kidneys. It is widely considered the gold-standard treatment for kidney failure — offering more freedom, a less restricted diet, and better long-term outcomes than dialysis for suitable patients.
Step 1 — Evaluation
Before a transplant, a thorough assessment checks that surgery is safe and likely to succeed. This includes blood and tissue-typing tests, heart and infection screening, and a discussion of your overall health. Not everyone is a candidate, and the team will guide you honestly.
Step 2 — Finding a donor
Living donor
A healthy relative or friend donates one kidney. Living-donor kidneys usually work immediately and last longer. Donors can live full, healthy lives with one kidney.
Deceased donor
A kidney from someone who has died and chosen to donate. Patients join a waiting list and are matched by blood group, tissue type and other factors.
When blood groups differ, specialised ABO-incompatible protocols can sometimes still make a living-donor transplant possible.
An overview of how a kidney transplant is performed.
Step 3 — The surgery
The operation usually takes 3–4 hours. The new kidney is placed in the lower abdomen; your own kidneys are generally left in place. Most patients stay in hospital for about a week and notice improved energy as the new kidney begins to work.
Step 4 — Life after transplant
A transplant is a treatment, not a cure — it needs lifelong care to protect the new kidney:
- Immunosuppressant medicines every day to prevent rejection. Never skip doses.
- Regular clinic visits and blood tests, frequent at first, then spaced out.
- Infection precautions, since immune-suppressing drugs raise infection risk.
- Healthy lifestyle — a balanced diet, activity, no smoking, and blood-pressure control.
Watch for rejection
Report fever, reduced urine, pain over the transplant, or sudden weight gain promptly. Early rejection is often treatable when caught quickly.
References & Further Reading
- National Kidney Foundation. "Kidney Transplant." kidney.org
- KDIGO Clinical Practice Guideline on the Evaluation and Management of Candidates for Kidney Transplantation. kdigo.org
- NIDDK, National Institutes of Health. "Kidney Transplant." niddk.nih.gov
This article is for general education only and does not replace personalised medical advice. Transplant suitability must be assessed by a qualified transplant team.