A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure where a kidney from someone who has died or from a living donor is transplanted into your body to replace a kidney that is failing.
If you have advanced kidney disease or kidney failure, you may benefit from a kidney transplant.
Many people who have had a kidney transplant are able to work, go to school, raise families and take part in full, active lives.
Kidneys can be transplanted from both living donors and deceased donors.
Living donor kidney transplant is when someone agrees to donate a kidney to you. That person could be a family member, friend, neighbor, colleague or even a stranger. A kidney from a living donor can mean you have a shorter wait time and less chance of your body rejecting the kidney.
Paired kidney donation is another living donor option that can help when donors and recipients aren’t a match. Paired kidney donation is when two pairs of living kidney donors and recipients exchange kidneys, so each recipient gets a kidney that meets their needs.
Deceased kidney donation refers to the process of transplanting a kidney from a person who has recently died to a living recipient. This type of donation typically occurs when an individual has registered as an organ donor or when their family consents to donation after death. The donor may have died from causes such as brain death or cardiac death, but their kidneys remain healthy and viable for transplantation.
To start the process, a transplant team will review and evaluate your overall health, kidney function, emotional well-being and financial readiness to see if you are a candidate for a kidney transplant.
Learn more about kidney transplant qualifications.
If transplantation is your best option, you’ll be placed on a waiting list for a kidney transplant. While you’re waiting, the transplant team will work with you to find a living donor. If you don’t find a living donor, you’ll stay on the waiting list until you’re matched with a deceased donor.
In the meantime, you can take steps to prepare for kidney transplant surgery until a match is found and you can have surgery.
Learn more about preparing for a kidney transplant.
Surgery usually takes two to four hours and most people stay in the hospital for two to four days afterward. Your transplant team will support you, so you know what to do after surgery and during kidney transplant recovery.
To keep your body from rejecting your new kidney, you will need to take anti-rejection medications for the rest of your life. These medications lower your immunity, so you may also need to take medication to help prevent infection.
After a kidney transplant, you’re likely to have more energy and be able to do many of the things you used to enjoy.
Learn more about life after a kidney transplant.
When you have your kidney transplant performed at Banner Health, you benefit from:
Learn more about the kidney transplant programs at Banner.
At Banner Health we offer kidney transplant programs in two Arizona locations:
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