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Renal transplantation is surgery to place a healthy donor kidney in a person whose kidneys have failed. The donor may be living or deceased. The new kidney filters blood and produces urine, but the recipient needs ongoing care to protect it.
read more about renal transplantation ...A transplant is a treatment option for suitable people with kidney failure. The transplant team evaluates overall health and whether surgery and long-term medicines are appropriate. A donor kidney must also be available and matched for transplantation.
The surgeon usually places the donor kidney in the lower abdomen. Its blood vessels are connected to the recipient's blood vessels, and its ureter is connected to the bladder. The original kidneys are usually left in place unless there is a reason to remove them.
The transplant team checks how well the new kidney works and watches for complications. Recipients take immunosuppressant medicines to reduce the risk of rejection. Regular blood tests and follow-up visits remain necessary over the long term.
Surgical risks include bleeding, infection, and problems with the kidney's blood supply or urine drainage. The immune system may reject the donor kidney. Immunosuppressant medicines also increase the risk of certain infections and have other side effects.
A working transplant can replace much of the lost kidney function. It still requires lifelong monitoring and usually lifelong anti-rejection medicine.
Usually not. Surgeons generally leave them in place unless they cause a problem that calls for removal.
Yes. A donor kidney can come from a living person or someone who has died.
Yes. Anti-rejection medicines lower the risk, and routine tests help the team detect problems with the transplant.
Frequently Asked Questions. Weill Cornell Medicine. https://weillcornell.org/services/kidney-and-pancreas-transplantation/adult-kidney-transplantation/frequently-asked-questions. Date Accessed September 30, 2026.
Kidney transplant. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/kidney-transplant/about/pac-20384777. Date Accessed September 30, 2026.
Kidney Transplant. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/kidney-failure/kidney-transplant. Date Accessed September 30, 2026.
Kidney Transplantation. StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK567755/. Date Accessed September 30, 2026.
Kidney Transplantation - Nephrology - Merck Manual Professional Edition. Merck Manual Professional Edition. https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/nephrology/kidney-replacement-therapy/kidney-transplantation. Date Accessed September 30, 2026.