Kidney transplant surgery: Benefits, Risks, Treatments

Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs whose main purpose is to filter and remove waste materials and fluid from your body through urine. A kidney transplant, also known as a renal transplant, is an operation in which a patient’s healthy kidney is transplanted into their body. Family members of deceased individuals are the most common donors. 

If you develop renal failure, dialysis or a kidney transplant are the best ways to remove dangerous waste products from your body. Every year, million people in India require kidney transplants. 

But keep in mind that various circumstances determine the cost of a transplant, and the price for a specific patient cannot be predicted at the outset. Let’s discuss what a kidney transplant entails, its benefits, and who you may talk to about the best treatment for your health situation.

What is a Kidney Transplant?

A kidney transplant occurs when a damaged kidney is replaced with a strong kidney from a contributor. The kidney power originates from moreover a deceased or a livelihood contributor. Family associates or others who are a suitable match for a kidney transplant may be able to donate one of theirs. 

Donors of a kidney can live a healthy life with an immediately single healthy kidney. A kidney transplant recipient usually receives only one kidney. They may obtain two kidneys from a departed donor in exceptional circumstances. Normally, dysfunctional kidneys are left in situ. The transplanted kidney is embedded in the more subordinate belly on the front side of the body.

Benefits of Kidney Transplant

Most people would rather have a kidney transplant than spend the rest of their lives on dialysis. Kidney dialysis entails getting dialysis many times a week and spending several hours connected to a dialysis machine each time. Patients who have a kidney transplant are likely to benefit from the following:

• A higher standard of living
• You will have more control over your day-to-day activities.
• Because dialysis regimens do not constrain them, they have more freedom.
• A healthy kidney reduces the chance of death.
• Increased strength, endurance, and energy
• Fewer dietary constraints
• Increasing your fluid intake
• Anemia may be reversible.
• Fewer antihypertensive drugs
• Reduced treatment costs

Read: 5 Amazing Benefits of Regenerative Medicine

Risks Involved in Kidney Transplant

Although kidney transplantation can help people with advanced kidney disease and kidney failure, it is not a cure. After a kidney removal, a few types of renal disease may come back. The health risks associated with a kidney transplant include those immediately related to surgery and donor organ rejection. 

Side effects of anti-rejection drugs used to prevent the body from rejecting the donated kidney are also a risk. Deciding whether or not to have a kidney transplant is a personal decision that requires a thorough consideration of the potential risks and advantages. Talk to your family, friends, and other trustworthy advisors about your decision.

A kidney transplant is an extensive procedure. As a result, it runs the risk of:

• A reaction to general anesthesia that is allergic
• Bleeding
• Clots of blood
• A ureteral obstruction
• An obstruction in the ureter
• A contamination
• The donated kidney was rejected.
• Kidney transplantation failure
• Heart failure
• A stroke

Potential Risks

The biggest danger of a kidney transplant is that your body will reject it. Though, your body eliminating your donated kidney is unusual.

According to research, 90% of kidney transplant recipients who receive their organs from a living donor live for at least five years after surgery. Around 82 percent of those who receive a kidney from a deceased donor survive for at least five years.

Notify your transplant team right away if you experience unusual tenderness at the incision site or a change in the amount of urine you are passing. If your body throw-outs the replacement kidney, you can go back to dialysis and be located on the coming up list for an original kidney following an additional assessment.

Immunosuppressive medicines, which you must take after surgery, can also cause unpleasant side effects. Some examples are:

• Gaining weight
• Thinned bones
• Hair growth accelerated
• Acne
• A greater chance of getting skin cancer and non-lymphoma Hodgkin’s

Talk about your chances of having these side effects with your healthcare provider.

Treatments for Kidney Transplant Surgery

• If the tests reveal early kidney disease, your doctor will focus on treating the underlying illness. If the tests show hypertension, your doctor will prescribe blood pressure drugs. They will also advise dietary and lifestyle transformations.
• Your physician may advise that you check with an endocrinologist if you contain diabetes. This type of doctor specializes in metabolic illnesses and can assist you in maintaining optimal blood glucose management.
• Your doctor will take appropriate measures to control any underlying conditions causing your abnormal kidney function tests, such as kidney stones or excessive use of painkillers.
• Dialysis is the most prevalent treatment for end-stage renal disease. Dialysis eliminates waste, excess water, and chemicals from the body, such as potassium, sodium, calcium, and acid. Peritoneal and Hemodialysis dialysis are the two kinds of dialysis.
• Your bloodstream is connected to a kidney machine outside the body during hemodialysis. Hemodialysis is typically performed three times each week, with each session lasting around four hours.
• Dialysis will not help you recover from renal failure. However, dialysis can help you feel better and live longer by replacing the job of your kidneys. Dialysis is performed using a tube in the abdomen.

You will probably require regular kidney function testing in the months ahead if your test findings are abnormal. These will help out your doctor in monitoring your state.

Wrapping it up

Most people who have only one kidney live regular, healthy lives. Whether you have one kidney or two, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is critical to keeping them in good working order. One of the most important things you can do to preserve your single kidney functioning effectively is to avoid contact sports and other activities that could cause an injury. The low-cost kidney transplant in India is considerable, typically costing between 2-3 lacs, making the treatment unaffordable for low-income individuals, culminating in a patient’s slow and agonizing death.