Kidney Transplant Program


Nationally Recognized Program 

UMC is home to one of the nation’s top kidney transplant programs, recognized by the Scientific Registry for Transplant Recipients for having the shortest wait times and the highest one-year kidney survival rate.  


Considering a Kidney Transplant

A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure to place a functioning kidney from a donor into a person whose kidneys no longer work properly. Your kidneys remove excess fluid and waste from your blood. When your kidneys lose their filtering ability, dangerous levels of fluid and waste accumulate in your body — a condition known as kidney failure. A kidney transplant is often the best treatment for kidney failure. 

If you are facing kidney failure, you may be frightened. Please know that our expertly trained team is here to help you explore your options. We will base our mutual decision on your medical history, health status and personal situation. 

When the kidneys can no longer perform their functions, there are three treatment options: 

  • Dialysis: A technique that removes waste using tubes or machines. 

  • Living Donor Kidney Transplant: A kidney from a living donor is surgically placed. 

  • Deceased Donor Kidney Transplant: A kidney from a deceased donor is surgically placed. 

 

Our team will conduct a detailed pre-transplant evaluation to determine if transplant is the best option for you. We will help you determine if you are healthy enough for a transplant. Patients who are NOT good candidates for a kidney transplant include those who have: 

  • Malignancy other than skin cell carcinomas 

  • Active infections 

  • HIV infection 

  • Active immunological diseases 

  • Advanced cardiac disease 

  • Advanced primary pulmonary or thoracic disease 

  • Obesity 

  • Malnutrition 

  • Untreated psychological disorder 

  • Evidence of poor compliance 

  • Absence of appropriate insurance or funding 

  • Untreated or ongoing drug, alcohol or tobacco abuse 

  • Lack of caregiver support 

It is important to have sufficient insurance for the necessary coverage of transplant evaluations, testing, surgery, postoperative medications and treatments. Patients should also have sufficient income to cover basic living expenses, medical expenses, and your post-transplant care. Medicare or a single private insurance alone may not be enough to cover all aspects of a transplant procedure. Secondary or supplemental insurance may be required. Prescription drug coverage is also incredibly important. 

 

Kidney Transplant Timeline

 

Evaluation 

Our team at the UMC Center for Transplantation will work closely alongside you to determine whether you meet the eligibility requirements for a kidney transplant. Our team assesses whether you are healthy enough to have surgery and tolerate lifelong post-transplant medications. We will also determine if you have any medical conditions that would hinder the success of your transplant. In addition, we will ensure that you are willing and able to take medications as directed and follow the recommendations of your transplant team. 

 

Finding a Donor 

A kidney donor can be living or deceased, related or unrelated to you. Your health care team will consider several factors, such as blood and tissue types, when evaluating whether a living donor will be a good match for you. Family members are often the most likely to be compatible kidney donors. However, many people undergo successful transplants with kidneys donated from people who are unrelated. 

If a compatible living donor is not available, your name will be placed on a waiting list for a deceased-donor kidney. Because there are fewer available kidneys than there are people waiting for a transplant, the waiting list continues to grow. The waiting time for a deceased donor kidney can be up to a year or longer. 

Paired kidney donor exchange may be an option if you have found someone willing to donate a kidney, but the donor's blood and tissue are not compatible with yours. Rather than donating a kidney directly to you, your donor may give a kidney to another person whose blood and tissue are compatible. In exchange, you will be moved up on the national waitlist.  

 

Staying Healthy 

Whether you are waiting for a donated kidney, or your transplant surgery is already scheduled, you should work to stay healthy. Being healthy can make it more likely that you will be ready for the transplant surgery when the time comes. It may also help speed your recovery from surgery. Please follow the recommendations below: 

  1. Take your medications as prescribed. 

  1. Follow the diet and exercise guidelines recommended by your transplant team. 

  1. Keep all appointments with your health care team. 

  1. Stay involved in healthy activities, including relaxing and spending time with family and friends. 

  1. Stay in touch with your transplant team and let them know of any significant changes in your health. 

 

Remain Prepared for Your Surgery 

If you are waiting for a donated kidney, make sure the transplant team knows how to reach you at all times. Keep your packed hospital bag handy, and make arrangements for transportation to the transplant center in advance. 

Life on the Waitlist:

In order to stay active on the waitlist, it is necessary for you to follow up annually with the transplant center and to update your testing. The UMC Kidney Transplant Program is required to keep up-to-date clinical information for all patients on the wait-list. 

  • Patients, referring physicians and dialysis centers are encouraged to keep the UMC Transplant team updated on the candidate’s medical condition. 

  • Patients are informed that they have a responsibility to contact the transplant team if they have any changes in their medical, financial or social status. 

  • If a patient’s medical status should change for any reason while they are on the UNOS wait-list, the transplant nephrologist and/or medical director will be notified. 

  • Reported changes must be made on the UMC Transplant Wait-List within 24 hours so that everyone has up-to-date information about each patient. 

  • A member of the Kidney Transplant Program team will contact wait-listed patients periodically to review their clinical, financial and contact information. 

 

Surgery 

Kidney transplants are performed with general anesthesia, so you are not awake during the procedure. The surgical team monitors your heart rate, blood pressure and blood oxygen level throughout the procedure. 

 

During the Surgery: 

  • The surgeon makes an incision and places the new kidney in your lower abdomen. Unless your own kidneys are causing complications such as high blood pressure or infection, they are left in place. 

  • The blood vessels of the new kidney are attached to blood vessels in the lower part of your abdomen, just above one of your legs. 

  • The new kidney's ureter — the tube that links the kidney to the bladder — is connected to your bladder. 

  • Kidney transplant surgery usually lasts about three to four hours. 


Possible Complications of the Procedure:

Kidney transplant surgery carries risks of complications, including: 

  • Blood clots 

  • Bleeding 

  • Leakage from or blockage of the tube (ureter) that links the kidney to the bladder 

  • Infection 

  • Failure of the donated kidney 

  • Rejection of the donated kidney 

 

Anti-Rejection Medication Side Effects: 

After a kidney transplant, you will take medications to help prevent your body from rejecting the donor kidney. These medications can cause a variety of side effects, including: 

  • Acne 

  • Bone thinning 

  • Diabetes 

  • Excessive hair growth 

  • High blood pressure 

  • High cholesterol 

  • Increased risk of cancer, particularly skin cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma 

  • Infection 

  • Puffiness (edema) 

  • Weight gain 

 

Post-Transplant 

Following your kidney transplant surgery, our world-class team members will continue to provide you with highly specialized care and personalized guidance on your journey to better health. After your surgery, you can expect to: 

  1. Spend a few days to a week in the hospital. Doctors and nurses will monitor your condition in the hospital's transplant recovery area to watch for signs of complications. Your new kidney will make urine like your own kidneys did when they were healthy. This often starts immediately. In other cases, it may take several days. Expect soreness or pain around the incision site while you are healing. 

  1. Have frequent checkups as you continue recovering. After you leave the hospital, close monitoring is necessary for a few months. Your transplant team will develop a checkup schedule for you. During this time, if you live in another town, you may need to make arrangements to stay close to the transplant center. 

  1. Take medications for the rest of your life. You will take a number of medications after your kidney transplant. Drugs called “immunosuppressants” help keep your immune system from attacking your new kidney. Additional drugs help reduce the risk of other complications, such as infection, after your transplant. 

After a successful kidney transplant, your new kidney will filter your blood, so you will no longer need dialysis. Our team will continue to provide you with follow-up care to ensure you remain healthy and have the best possible quality of life. 

 

UMC Kidney Transplant Survival Rates

UMC remains one of the top-rated kidney transplant programs in the nation by the Scientific Registry for Transplant Recipients with a 96 percent one-year kidney survival rate. 

If your new kidney fails, you can resume dialysis or consider a second transplant. You may also choose to discontinue treatment. This important decision depends on your current health, your ability to withstand surgery, and your expectations for maintaining a certain quality of life. 


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