What is a kidney transplant?
A kidney transplant is the surgical placement of a healthy human kidney into the body of a person with kidney failure. The transplanted organ restores kidney function, improving the quality of life for the patient.
Many people think of a kidney transplant as the absolute cure for kidney failure, and though a transplant does improve the quality of life and life expectancy, it is considered a treatment rather than a cure.
Potential advantages of receiving a transplant:
- Feel healthier
- More energy
- Live almost normal life
- Frees patients from dialysis
- Able to work full time without regard to treatment schedule
Potential disadvantages of receiving a transplant:
- Possible side effects of medication
- Possible weight gain and body changes
- Required to take costly medication daily
- Current limitations on Medicare coverage of medications
- Rejection risk
- Not everyone will qualify to be a candidate
Each ESRD Network organization has been instructed by CMS to encourage area dialysis facilities to provide timely evaluation of patients for transplantation, as well as other modalities such as peritoneal dialysis and home hemodialysis.
If you are interested in getting a kidney transplant, you should make sure to tell your kidney doctor and dialysis facility staff. You should be referred for evaluation in a TIMELY manner.
If a relative wishes to give you a kidney, you should inform your facility staff right away.
Transplant Resources:
- Podcast - A Patient's Story: How A Chronic Condition Led to Chronic Kidney Disease and How He Overcame It
- "Your Life, Your Choice" - Stories from Kidney Transplant Patients and Donors
- Get the Facts: Kidney Transplantation
- Is a Kidney Transplant Right for Me?
- Common Concerns and Fears
- Types of Kidney Donors
- How Much Does a Kidney Transplant Cost?
- After My Kidney Transplant: "How Much Better Will I Feel?"
- Transplant and Prescription Resources
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TRANSPLANT PROGRAMS WITHIN THE NETWORK 8 SERVICE AREA, CLICK THE FOLLOWING TRANSPLANT CENTER TIP SHEETS:
- Emory Transplant Center
- Erlanger Kidney Transplant Center
- James D. Eason Transplant Institute at Methodist University Hospital
- Piedmont Transplant Institute
- St. Thomas Hospital
- University of Alabama Medicine Comprehensive Transplant Institute
- University of Mississippi Medical Center
- University of Tennessee Medical Center Transplant Services
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TRANSPLANTATION, VISIT THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES:
- Transweb
- National Transplant Assistance Fund
- United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)
- Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN)
- DonateLife America
- Kidney School – Transplant Module
- ESRD NCC Kidney Transplant Hub
- Transplant Living
- National Kidney Foundation
- American Transplant Foundation