A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure that patients of kidney disease go through in order to replace a non functioning kidney with a live one that is healthy and functions well. Other methods to treat this disease also include dialysis, which basically is an artificial way of doing what our kidneys are designed to do. When dialysis does not work, many doctors recommend a kidney transplant. A replacement or donated kidney can come from a living donor or a non-living donor. This new kidney will mostly work towards keeping the blood clean, which is a function that stops when the old and diseased kidneys fail.
 
So, here's a list of five essential facts that you need to keep in mind if you are looking at a kidney transplant:

1. Donors: While there are living and non-living donors, the doctor will have to ensure that your donor is someone who has no medical history of complications, kidney disease or any other medical condition like diabetes or hypertension. Also, the donor would have to have two proper functioning kidneys. Further, one of the most important factors is the blood group. The blood group of the donor and the patient must match for the transplant to be possible.

2. Procedure: During the surgery, the patient will be under general anesthesia. The surgeon will make an incision in the lower abdomen area and the blood vessels of the new kidney will be connected surgically with the vein and iliac artery of the patient. Thereafter, any excess fluid will be drained before wrapping up the surgery.

3. Rejection: The patient's body may also reject the kidney. The immune system of the patient may mistake the new kidney as an attacking body and its natural defenses may work against it, which will lead to complications. For this, doctors usually prescribe immunosuppressant medicines that will help in preventing such an eventuality. 

4. Longevity: While a living donor's kidney may last longer, a non-living donor's kidney will not enjoy such a long life. In such cases, a second transplant can be conducted.

5. Diet: After the transplant, the patient will be required to go through a number of measures like coughing to show that the lungs are clear, as well as administration of fluids and some amount of examination and dialysis. Also, the patient will have to have a special diet that includes raw fruits and vegetables, and plenty of non-fat dairy ingredients.

A kidney transplant is a major operation that can change your lifestyle in the long run. 

5 Things You Should Know About Kidney Transplant

Kidneys work aggressively day and night - this pair is responsible for all the cleaning - Waste Removal from your body.

Check out how you can keep your pair of kidneys functional right until you need them:

1) Increase Fluid Intake: No.1 reason for kidney stones/problems is not drinking enough water. When your fluid intake is low, it puts extra work load on the kidneys to pass toxins. Similarly excessive alcohol intake leads to dehydration and puts pressure on your kidneys making them age earlier.

2) Cut Back On Salt: Salt is anti-kidneys. If you have any chronic problem, try to aim for less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day.

3) Empty Your Bladder: Do not keep urine stored in bladder for too long. It majorly affects the functioning of kidneys.

4) Check On Chronic Problems: Manage your diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease well. These have direct impact on Kidneys, esp. Your cholesterol levels, sugar levels and blood pressure. Having high cholesterol, especially if you have diabetes, puts you more at risk for kidney disease, heart disease and stroke.

5) Balance your Physical Health: Keep your body active to keep organs such as kidneys in good functioning. Do at least 15 min of cardio exercises daily. Also, get sufficient rest for your body.

Click on consult privately to ask me any follow-up questions on this.

From Lybrate: If you found this tip useful, please thank the doctor by clicking on the heart icon below. Also, spread good health by sharing this tip with your loved ones.

5 Ways to Keep Your Kidneys Active

People with chronic kidney disease notice that their bones tend to get weaker and more slender. They become painful and are bound to break more easily as a consequence of mineral loss. The most common kind of bone infections happen when:

There is a change in the balance between two essential minerals in your body - calcium and phosphate, which prompts loss of calcium from your bones.
Four small glands (parathyroid organs), which regulate calcium in your body, turn out to be excessively active.
There is a change in the way your body utilizes vitamin D, a mineral that is vital for healthy bones.
Every bone disease affects bones in different ways.

Phosphate is found in many food items you eat. Your kidneys normally eject whatever is not required in the body. At the point when your kidneys have stopped functioning properly, phosphate may develop in your blood. Excess phosphate in your blood prompts loss of calcium from your bones, which has a tendency to weaken them. Eating food items that are low in phosphate can keep phosphate from building up in your blood.
Since phosphate stays in your body when your kidneys are no more ready to remove it, four small glands in your neck (parathyroid organs) turn out to be excessively active. When this happens, calcium is expelled from your bones over a long period of time, making them weak.
Vitamin D is a vital vitamin, which affects the balance in the calcium content of your body. Typically, vitamin D is processed into a more soluble state by the kidneys and can be utilized by the body. In case your kidneys have deteriorated, they can no more do this critical job. Luckily, the dynamic type of vitamin D is accessible in the form of medications that can be prescribed by your specialist, if necessary. In case you have a kidney disease, it is vital to find a way to prevent bone illness. Some of the solutions are as follows:
Limit the amount of phosphorus you take in every day. Ask your specialist or dietitian to let you know how much phosphorus you need to have. You can likewise request a list of high-phosphorus food items.
Take a phosphate folio. This is a medicine that you bring with dinners to keep your body from taking in the phosphorus that originates from your food and beverages. This can keep phosphorus from winding up in your blood.
Take a calcitriol supplement. Your kidneys make calcitriol with the help of vitamin D that you get from food and the sun. When your kidneys are not working, they can't make calcitriol. A man-made type of calcitriol can help your body utilize the calcium and phosphorus it needs.
Exercise can make your bones more strong and keep them from breaking.
Try not to smoke or use tobacco. It can aggravate bone disease.
Take your medications the way your specialist instructs you to and do not skip dialysis medicines.
Even after changing your diet and taking medicines, if you still have an excess of phosphorus in your blood, your specialist may propose that you undergo further dialysis.

Kidney Disease - How It Affects Your Bones?

The medical term for protein leak in urine is commonly known as Nephrosis and if the leakage is too much it is termed as Nephrotic Syndrome. Such a situation can lead to kidney failure, if not treated on time can be highly dangerous. There can be a number of causes for this condition and it is detected by carrying out a urine test. The treatment for Nephrosis is a long-term process and is done mainly to prevent kidney failure.

The treatment for Nephrosis aims at controlling the protein leak and prevent kidney failure. It is very important for people who are new to kidney disease that they know about these below mentioned nine things, in order to stay strong.

9 Important things you must be aware of kidney disease:

The feeling of helplessness due to the occurrence of kidney disease can be overcome by educating yourself. Individuals should learn everything about kidney disease and can gain vital information even from the Internet.
It is very obligatory that the advice of the doctor must be followed by an individual suffering from kidney disease. It is not indispensable that the kidney disease always leads to failure of kidney and to prevent it from damage, it is necessary to comply with the orders of the Doctor.
It is very important that you stick to a diet, which would keep you healthy and protect your kidneys from any further damage. You should be careful about everything you eat, and you can gain assistance on your diet from a renal dietitian.
When you suffer from Chronic Kidney Disease, the blood value becomes very important to gauge the condition of your disease and whether it is getting worse or stable. From time to time, the healthcare provider would check your urine and blood, and he would also monitor your blood pressure and blood sugar.
You can take help from the support group and accept their assistance. Your family is your best support system at the time of need, thus involving them is very important.
You must make sure that you are getting the required care you need, and you need to educate yourself by communicating as well as asking questions.
You will feel much better by being active, so do things that make you happy. You can exercise regularly but after taking advice from your doctor. Your main focus must be to keep yourself healthy.
A positive attitude is anytime helpful in healing a disease. You can listen to music that entertains your mind and helps you stay positive.
It is not difficult to stay healthy even with kidney disease, as the positive feeling would eventually help you face your problems. You must plan ahead and be ready for kidney transplant without getting worried.
Most importantly, it is important that you spread awareness and help people tackle the situation without any difficulty. If you wish to discuss any specific problem, you can consult a Nephrologist.

Kidney Disease? 9 Things You Must Do!

The kidneys are small organs that filter about 200 liters of water each day, removing out about 2 liters of toxins and wastes in a water medium as urine. In addition to maintaining the fluid levels in the body, they also produce hormones that regulate blood pressure, produce red blood cells, and play a vital role in maintaining bone health. Any problem with the kidney, infection or otherwise, can lead to its improper functioning, causing damaging results on the rest of the body organs.

While the bad news is that most diseases from infections to diabetes to hypertension and cancer have an adverse effect on the kidneys, there are signs that can be watched out for, which can indicate a problem with the kidneys and so further damage prevented. Read on to know some of the most common symptoms of kidney disease and how further progression can be prevented.

Change in urination process: Any change in the process of urination should be a warning for a test. It could be change in color or the appearance of the urine, painful urination, burning on urination, difficulty to start and stop a stream, or too frequent or infrequent urinations. These are usually the first symptoms of kidney disease and should be an alarm to get a kidney function test done. If you have hypertension or a strong family history of kidney disease, then getting a simple urine test to check optimal kidney function is definitely mandated. These could indicate conditions like infection, diabetes, kidney failure, or other conditions which can all be identified with further testing and then treated accordingly. The progress of the disease can be halted, which can help improve overall quality of life.
Fatigue, loss of energy: As noted above, impaired kidney function leads to other organs being affected and buildup of toxins in the body. There is also anemia which sets in due to decrease in red blood cells and therefore reduced overall energy levels, loss of sleep, and fatigue.
Swollen eyes, feet, and ankles: Reduced kidney function leads to fluid accumulation, sodium retention, loss of protein, which all lead to swollen eyes and ankles and feet. These are easy to identify and should ring a bell to get checked for kidney functions.
Muscle cramps: Improper electrolyte levels can affect muscle functioning, leading to painful cramps. Along with changes in the process of urination, this should be an indication of underlying kidney disease.
Keep a track of any above mentioned problems as they can help in saving not just the kidneys but all the vital organs.

Kidney Problems - 4 Signs to Watch For!

Our kidneys act as filters which constantly flushes out toxins and excess minerals with water in form of urine. Urine contains lots of minerals which may precipitate and form stones. Urine has lots of pro-precipitating agents and anti-precipitating agents. When their balance disturbs due to some disease, stones start forming. These stones may often lead to abdominal pain which is referred to as renal colic. 

What exactly is renal colic? 

Renal or ureteric colic is the term used for typical pain in one side of abdomen in flank region starting from back and radiating forward towards lower abdomen up to scrotum. This is usually associated with nausea, vomiting and urinary discomfort. There may be blood in urine. 

How kidney stones are related to renal colic? 

Kidney stones usually form inside kidney and lies there without causing any pain. But whenever they are dislodged and stuck at mouth of kidney (pelvis) or anywhere in ureter, they block the passage of urine of that kidney. This causes swelling in kidney termed as hydronephrosis. This swelling in kidney causes renal / ureteric colic. This colic is protective phenomenon and tries to push out the stones. Small stones do come out in urine by this natural process. This spontaneous expulsion of small stones is common and many local practitioners used to get credit of it feigning benefit of their medicine. However large stones need some form of intervention to come out. Otherwise, they do harm to kidneys in long term. 

Symptoms of kidney stones along with renal /ureteric colic - 

Most stones which are lying in calyces of kidney are asymptomatic 
Nausea & vomiting 
Frequent urinary tract infections 
Fever with chills 
Foul smelling urine 
Hesitency, frequency and burning in urination 
Blood in urine (urine with a reddish, pink or brownish hue) 
Passage of small stones in urine 
Treatment of renal colic 

Treatment of ureteric/renal stones involves control of symptoms and stone removal. 

Expectant Treatment or Medical Expulsion Therapy: Small stones of less than 4 mm size usually pass on its own and some medicines like alpha-blockers and steroid hasten up their expulsion. Medium size stone (4-6 mm), sometimes passes with aid of these medications. But stones larger than 6 mm usually require intervention. 
Lithotripsy: This method involves breaking of stones by shock waves into small dusty particles which pass through urine on its own. This is usually suitable for stones upto 1.5 cm and lying in kidneys. This is non-operative treatment which can be done on OPD or Daycare basis. 
Ureteroscopy (URS): This method involves entry of very thin semirigid scope through urethra into ureter. Stone is broken by LASER and removed. This involves single day admission and spinal anaesthesia. 
RIRS- Retrograde Intra Renal Surgery: In this method very thin flexible scope in maneuvered through urethra into the upper ureter and pelvi-calyceal system of kidney. Stones in kidney or upper ureter are broken by LASER and removed. This is also done under anaesthesia and requires a day admission. 
Mini- PCNL: This method is suitable for large renal stones. In this technique, a small hole is made into the kidney through back and tiny scope is entered into the kidney. Stones are broken by LASER and removed. This is done under anaesthesia and require two to three days admission.

Renal Colic - Ways it Can Be Treated?

Don't wait any longer, manage your Pyelonephritis online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Pyelonephritis - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES