Let’s have a SERIOUS discussion about Kidney Transplant!

If you are at this page, then I am considering that either you or one of your loved ones is having serious kidney issues. Your doctor might have told you about the need of a kidney transplant. But you might not be 100% sure about what and how do these things really take place. As a second consultation, you might want to read on and clear your doubts about the same.

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU HAVE KIDNEY ISSUES?

You have problems with kidney very frequently for some time now. But how do you know that you are having issues with kidney? I mean, not every one is as knowledgeable about such things as a doctor!

Here are a few of the symptoms that might qualify as your kidney dysfunctioning:

At early stages you might not be able to figure out that your kidney needs help, but at advanced stages the symptoms becomes clear. These include:

1. Tiredness
2. Swollen ankles, feet or hands
3. Shortness of breath
4. Feeling sick
5. Blood in your urine

Even with all the symptoms, it’s hard to come to a conclusion about a kidney problem

But if you have one of the following medical condition along with the above symptoms, it’s time to visit a urologist. The medical conditions include:-

1. High blood pressure
2. Diabetes
3. high cholesterol levels
4. kidney infections that you might have earlier
5. kidney inflammation or cysts in kidney as diagnosed with ultrasound
6. Kidney stones that you might mage noticed while passing urine
7. long-term, regular use of certain medicines – such as lithium and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)  

All of the above are actual causes of kidney dysfunction. So if you have these and the symptoms of kidney issues as discussed above, visit a urologist immediately.

Your doctor might suggest dialysis if you have kidney dysfunction. Dialysis just take over the functions of kidney like purifying blood and pass it back into your body. But dialysis sessions are costly, and life as you led it pre-dialysis times becomes impossible. In such a case, the best way is to get a kidney transplant. 

If you are suspecting chronic kidney dysfunction, blood tests and urine tests that look for excess of a certain substance in your blood might be enough to convince you that you do have such an issue.

What next?

At an advanced stage of chronic Kidney Dysfunction (CKD) a kidney transplant is one of the things to know about.

If you are one of the luck few to get a suitable living kidney donor, then you can get a transplant without waiting for a long time. Ut if you are like one of millions who are not as lucky, you need to wait until you get a suitable deceased kidney donor by enlisting yourself in national kidney donor’s waiting list. 

The stats tell us that within 3 years being enlisted in the waiting list, you get a diseased kidney donor. The person who died, or their family, have the power to decide if the person’s kidney is to be donated or not. 

But now, are you a suitable person to get a kidney transplant?

Most people who need a kidney transplant are able to have one, regardless of their age, as long as:

1. You are healthy enough to withstand the effects of surgery
2. The transplant has a good chance of success as decided by the team of doctors.
3. You are willing to comply with the recommended treatments after the transplant – like taking immunosuppressant medication and attending regular follow-up appointments

Risks after the kidney transplant operation

The transplant is a major operation with its own set of risks. They include:

1. You might get blood clots or infections after the operation
2. Long term risk involve also includes risk of developing diabetes

The long term risk usually occurs due to anti-rejection medicine you will take to reduce the chances of your body rejecting the kidney. 

Kidney rejection by your body is due to your own immune system recognizing the new kidney as a foreign body. Thus, rejection is an autoimmune response.

I hate to say that after a transplant, you will need to get regular checkups for the rest of your life. But at least you will be able to have a much normal life after you get the surgery done  

Dos and don’ts after a kidney transplant

1. take steps to reduce your risk of developing infections
2. eat a healthy diet
3. lose weight if you are overweight or obese
4. stop smoking if you smoke

Risk of kidney failure after the surgery

1. If the kidney came from a living donor or a deceased person affects the risk
2. If your blood group and tissue of kidney got matched with your blood group and tissue type. If it matched, then you are less likely to get a transplant surgery again.
3. Your age and health also affects your chances.

Dr Aditya K Sharma (MBBS, MS – General Surgery, MCh – Urology) has over 17 years of experience as a Urologist, Sexologist, and Urological Surgeon. Over the years, he had treated and advised hundreds of patients with kidney-related problems. He is an expert in kidney transplant operations. Contact him in case you are in doubt, or you need a transplant.

A last word about who can actually be your living kidney donor

1. The donor must be at least 18 years old
2. They must be non-smoker as it puts risk to them
3. They mustn’t have uncontrollable hypertension
4.  They shouldn’t have a History of pulmonary embolism or recurrent thrombosis (blood clots) or bleeding disorder
5. Uncontrollable psychiatric illness is a strict no, no, as the patient can’t act out of their free will.
6. Morbid obesity can damage the kidney of the donor as well as put the donor at a life risk. So they shouldn’t be considered as potential donors
7. Uncontrollable cardiovascular disease is again a strict no-no.
8. Avoid donors with chronic lung disease with impairment of oxygenation or ventilation or having a history of melanoma
9.  A metastatic cancerous patient could put the life of the donation receiver at a morbid risk
10. A person with bilateral or recurrent kidney stones is discouraged from being a kidney donor
11.  They must have chronic kidney disease of stage 3 or less
12. Proteinuria, or high levels of protein in the blood (more than 300 mg/d, excluding postural proteinuria, is also a strict no-no.
13. Finally, a person with HIV infection could transfer the disease to the kidney receiver, so they shouldn’t donate.