Getting Kidney Transplant - Things You Must Know

To live a healthy life, it is important to have properly functioning kidneys. And, when one of your kidneys isn’t working in the correct manner, then as a last resort you might have to go for a kidney transplant surgery. It is a surgical procedure to replace a non functioning kidney with a live one that is healthy and functions well.

Before you decide upon kidney transplant, there are a few thing that you must be mindful about:

1. For kidney transplant, you can get a kidney either from a living person or deceased. Your healthcare provider will have to do a background check to make sure the donor does not have any complicated medical history. Also, the donor must have two proper functioning kidneys. Another important thing is, the blood group of the donor and the patient must match.

2. You might find this surprising but there are also chances that the patient's body may reject the donor’s kidney. The immune system of the patient may mistake the new kidney as an attacking body and its natural defenses may work against it. This could complicate the case. So, generally doctors prescribe immunosuppressant medicines that will help in avoiding such an incidence.

3. In terms of longevity, a living donor's kidney may last longer, whereas a non-living donor's kidney will not have a long lifespan. In such cases, a second transplant can also be considered.

4. Once the transplant has been performed the patient will be required to go through a number of procedures like coughing to show that the lungs are clear, as well as administration of fluids etc.

5. You will have be careful about your eating habits. Usually, a special diet is recommended which will include plenty of non-fat dairy products, raw fruits and vegetables etc.

If you are thinking to go for a kidney transplant, it is vital to be aware about the facts around it. Also, consult your doctor, he or she will be able to suggest you in the best way according to your medical condition.