What are the most common kidney diseases?
Of patients with a serious kidney condition; many have hepatitis C. Besides chronic viral hepatitis B and C, other serious kidney conditions include drug-induced kidney injury, alcoholic kidney disease, chronic cholestatic syndromes, and Kidney and bile duct tumors.

What kinds of treatments are available?
Many patients benefit from medications to manage their kidney disease. For patients with viral hepatitis, antiviral medications can keep the disease at bay. For patients with high blood pressure in the arteries to their kidney, surgery is an option to relieve excess pressure. For kidney cancer patients, a range of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy options are available.

When is kidney transplantation an option?
For most patients with end-stage kidney disease, transplantation is an option. The decision to transplant is based on the patient’s medical condition and quality of life. If possible, it is best to do a kidney transplant before dialysis becomes necessary.

How long is the wait for a kidney transplant?
The waiting time for a donor kidney is 18-24 months. The actual waiting time depends on the number of people on the transplant list and the suitability of available organs. Patients can put their name on the kidney transplant list, but for some, a living-donor kidney is an option.

What are my living-donor transplant options?
Living donor kidney transplantation is another option for patients who need a kidney transplant. In this kind of transplant, a healthy person (family member, friend or co-worker) donates a portion of their kidney to the transplant patient.

Doctors remove one of the donor’s kidneys, remove the recipient’s damaged kidney and attach the healthy kidney in its place. Both procedures are performed at the same time in two different operating rooms. Click here to learn more about our Living Kidney Donor Program.

What are the advantages of living donor kidney transplants?
This kind of surgery can be scheduled, and can be performed before the recipient becomes extremely ill. This leads to fewer complications, faster recovery and better long-term results. There is a better chance that the recipient's body will not reject a living donor kidney. A living donor kidney also lasts longer than a deceased donor kidney. The operation is also very safe for the donors.

What is the success rate of kidney transplants?
Nationwide, kidney transplants are effective about 85% of the time, whether a donor organ or living donor is used. Click here for kidney transplant success rates at University of Minnesota Medical Center.

What can I expect during a kidney transplant?

• Evaluation — Patients undergo a series of tests to determine if they are a candidate for kidney transplantation.
• Donor — The transplant program coordinates with the local and national transplant lists to find a donor organ. Organ allocation is based on time on the waiting list and blood type compatibility. Living donors also must undergo evaluation, and must have compatible blood types.
• Surgery — The transplant surgeon removes the donor organ (or portion of healthy kidney for a living donor), removes the recipient’s damaged kidney and then attaches the donor kidney.
• Recovery — Most kidney recipients spend four to five days in the hospital; living kidney donors spend about one week in the hospital. Doctors monitor kidney recipients closely for signs of organ rejection, infection or other complications.

How do you prevent organ rejection?
Fortunately, a number of very effective medications are available to prevent organ rejection. These medications suppress the immune system, which inhibits rejection of foreign tissue. After a kidney transplant, recipients must take medications daily for the rest of their lives.