How successful is a Kidney Transplant? Also, is kidney transplant better than dialysis? 

Dr.Vikas Agarwal, 4 mins read

Kidney transplants today are safer than ever before and more successful with significantly greater success and outcomes. This surgical procedure is done for treating kidney failure as an alternative to dialysis, which mechanically filters waste from the bloodstream when kidneys stop working. In a kidney transplant procedure, one or both kidneys are replaced with a kidney donated by a living or deceased person. 

There are pros and cons to both dialysis and kidney transplants but a transplant in more desirable for several reasons. 

First, kidney transplant success rates regarding the procedure itself- are near a hundred percent. Going for dialysis is very time-consuming and takes immense effort, usually needing multiple trips to a dialysis centre, where blood is cleansed using a dialysis machine. Even for dialysis at home, individuals will need to buy supplies and learn how to use them.

Kidney transplants have freed patients with kidney failure from their constant need for getting to a dialysis machine and the strict regime they have to follow with it. Once a transplanted kidney is accepted by a recipient’s body, it can allow them to live a free and normal life again. 

However, we would also like to tell you that kidney transplants aren’t suitable for everyone, such as people with ongoing infections or those who are extremely overweight/obese. 

Who needs a kidney transplant?

A kidney transplant is an option for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), or when the kidneys have stopped working entirely, even dialysis can help at this point. 

It’ll be easier to begin dialysis before your doctor evaluates your candidacy for a kidney transplant. You can also sort out a donor, check out the average kidney transplant cost in your city, and make other arrangements till then.

If you’re considering a kidney transplant, you have to adhere to a strict regime for life after surgery.

In case you have some serious medical condition, a kidney transplant might pose a threat to your life, and be quite unlikely to succeed. Conditions like cancer, TB, hepatitis, liver disease, and severe cardiovascular disease. Some doctors also do not recommend transplants for people who smoke, drink excessively, or use psychotropic drugs. 

If your doctor is satisfied you’ll make a good candidate for a kidney transplant and you want to go through with it: you’ll be further evaluated at a transplant centre for physical, psychological, and familial assessment. An entire team of professionals will assist and guide you through all the testing, and prepare you for the transplant. 

If approved, either a family member can donate a kidney or you’ll be put on a National waiting list with others. It is naturally better to find a living donor if there is complete kidney failure without much help by way of dialysis. 

Who can become a kidney donor?

Kidney donors can be either living or deceased. A living donor is usually a family member if their body can function properly with just one healthy kidney. There is also a much better chance that your and your family member’s blood and tissues match, which will let you schedule a planned donation rather than rush when your name comes up after waiting on a list. Getting a kidney from a family member is always a better option as there is a lesser risk of your body rejecting the kidney, and it will help you bypass the anguish of waiting for a donor kidney to come by. 

Deceased donors, or cadaver donors, are those who passed away, but who decided to donate their kidneys in the event of their death. Even family members of deceased individuals can choose to donate their organs and tissues for saving someone else’s life. 

However, your body will be more likely to reject a kidney from a donor who is not a blood relative.  However, for a lot of people who cannot find a family member or a willing donor, a deceased donor kidney is the best option. 

Matching with a donor 

During the evaluation of blood tests for forming a match, determining blood type (A, B, AB, or O) and the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) is key.HLA is a group of antigens located on the surface of your body’s organ and if your HLA type matches the donor’s, likely, your body won’t reject the kidney.

There is also another test to make sure your antibodies won’t attack the donated kidney. A small amount of your blood will be mixed with the donor’s blood, and if your blood forms antibodies, a kidney transplant can’t be done but if there is no antibody reaction, you’ll have a “negative crossmatch”, which means the transplant can be done successfully.

After that, you and your donor, along with your transplant team, can settle upon an ideal date for everyone involved, and go ahead with the kidney transplant. 

Also, Read: Can we live a normal life with one kidney? What you need to know