Chronic rejection is a process of gradual, progressive
loss of kidney function and can occur many months to several years after your
surgery. Experts don't fully understand what causes chronic rejection. There is
no treatment for chronic rejection. Most people go back on dialysis or have
another transplant.
Why It Is Done
During kidney transplant surgery, a
healthy kidney (donor kidney) replaces the lost function of your own damaged
kidneys. Kidney transplant is used when you have severe chronic kidney disease
(renal failure) that cannot be reversed by another treatment method. You will
not be able to have this surgery if you have an active infection, another
life-threatening disease such as cancer, or severe heart or lung
disease.
How Well It Works
If you have severe chronic kidney
disease and choose to have a kidney transplant, you may live longer than if you
choose only to treat your kidney disease with
alone.1
Transplants using a kidney from a
first-degree relative, such as your father, mother, brother, or sister, are the
most successful. And transplants from living donors are usually more successful than transplants from deceased donors.1
Risks
The risks of having a kidney transplant
include:
- of the new kidney.
- Severe
infection.
- Bleeding.
- Reaction to the
used for surgery.
- Failure of
the donor kidney.
What To Think About
Kidney transplant may be a better
treatment for you than dialysis, because survival rates are better after
transplant. You will also be able to live a more normal life, because you won't
have to have dialysis. Although a kidney transplant is an
expensive procedure, it may actually be less costly than long-term dialysis
treatments.
There is often a
long wait before you receive a donor kidney. And there is no guarantee that the
transplant will be successful. Fewer complications occur in people who are
good candidates for surgery and who do not have other serious medical
conditions, such as unstable
or cancer, that may limit
their life expectancy.
Not everyone is able to have a
kidney transplant. You will not usually have a kidney transplant if you have an
active infection or another life-threatening disease, such as cancer or
significant heart or lung disease.
After having a kidney
transplant, you will have to take medicines that suppress your immune system
(immunosuppressive medicines) to help prevent your body from rejecting the new kidney. You
will need to take these medicines for the rest of your life. Because these
medicines weaken your immune system, you will have an increased risk for
serious infections. There is also the chance that your body may
still reject your new kidney even if you take these medicines. If this happens,
you will have to start dialysis and possibly wait for another kidney
transplant.
Immunosuppressive medicines also increase your risk of
other diseases, such as skin cancer and lymphoma. You have a greater risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cataracts, and
inflammation of the liver (cirrhosis) if you are taking these medicines.
Complete the surgery information form (PDF)
(What is a document?) to help you prepare for this surgery.
References
Citations
Flechner SM (2008). Renal
transplantation. In EA Tanagho, JW McAninch, eds., Smith's General Urology, 17th ed., pp. 539–558. New York:
McGraw-Hill.