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| Renal Transplantation |
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| Grafting a kidney from a donor who is compatible to the recipient to restore kidney functions in a recipient is called renal transplantation. |
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| All patients with renal failure are considered eligible for kidney transplantation. |
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| A living donor can be used in a kidney transplant. It may be an identical twin, a sibling or even a close relative. When living donors are not available, a cadaneric donor may be used (cadaner - dead body). |
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| Isogeneric graft |
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| Kidney transplant from an identical twin. It is always successful. It is also called as isograft. |
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| Allogeneric graft |
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| A kidney transplant from a sibling or a close relative or even from a cadaver is called allogeneic graft or homograft. It is usually successful because of the use of drugs called immuno suppressants which prevent the rejection of the graft by the body's immune response. |
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| A kidney donor should be healthy, free from diabetes, hypertension and any malignancy. The donor should be histo compatible. Kidneys are also obtained from previously healthy persons who have sustained brain death. The kidneys are to be removed as early as possible, flushed with special cooling solutions like mannitol and stored in ice. They should then be transplanted within 48 hrs. |
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| The recipient and donor are tested for blood group compatibility, human leukocyte, antigen and antibody reactions. |
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| The transplantation is done under general anaesthesia and takes about 3 - 4 hrs. The donor kidney is transplanted and connected to the iliac artery and iliac vein of the recipient. Ureter of the new kidney is connected to the urinary bladder of the recipient. Often the new kidney starts producing urine as soon as the blood flows through it but sometimes it takes a few weeks. The new kidney takes over the work of the 2 failed kidneys. The old kidneys are usually left in place if they are free of infection |
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| Immunosuppressive therapy is started just before or at the time of renal transplantation. |
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