Transplantation

A kidney transplant is a surgical operation that places a healthy kidney in the patient's body. The transplanted kidney takes over the work of the two kidneys that failed, and the patient no longer needs dialysis.

During a transplant, the surgeon places the new kidney in the lower abdomen and reconstructs the connections to the arteries and veins for the blood purification process.

Many transplanted kidneys come from donors who have died, however, some come from a living donor who has a correct physiological 'match' with the patient. The wait for a new kidney can be long and many countries have organ donation programmes to promote this life-saving act.