The kidneys are in charge of removing waste from your body. They filter waste from your blood and excrete it through your urine. The kidneys are also responsible for maintaining the body's electrolyte and fluid balance. When the kidneys fail to function properly, poisonous waste builds up in the body, making you very sick.
The human body has two kidneys, one on each side of the upper abdominal region. The right kidney is positioned slightly lower than the left in order to make room for the liver, which is located directly above the right kidney. They're around 5 inches long and the size of a large fist. Kidneys govern the metabolism of electrolytes in the body, such as calcium, potassium, sodium, and others, in addition to eliminating wastes and excess fluid. It keeps blood pressure in check by generating hormones that keep the pressure constant. Despite the fact that people have two kidneys, the body can survive with only one working kidney.
A kidney transplant is a surgery in which a healthy kidney from a living or deceased donor is used to replace a sick or dysfunctional kidney in a person. A cadaveric renal transplant is a treatment that uses a kidney from a deceased donor.
A Human kidney failure can be treated through a kidney transplant, often known as a renal transplant. Dialysis is also used to treat people whose kidneys have stopped working. It's a mechanical procedure that filters waste from the blood and does the job that the kidneys can't.
Organ transplantation is the other treatment option for kidney failure. In this surgery, a surgeon transplants a kidney from a deceased or living donor into the patient's body. After that, immune-suppressive medication is administered to ensure that the new kidney is not mistaken for a foreign organ and attacked by the patient's immune system.
For those whose kidneys have entirely stopped working, a kidney transplant may be their only option. This is referred as the end-stage renal disease (ESRD). If you have ESRD, you'll need dialysis to stay alive, and a kidney transplant can free you from the requirement for dialysis for the rest of your life. To replace two failed kidneys, only one healthy kidney is essential. This allows a living individual to donate one of their kidneys to a patient suffering from ESRD.
People with renal failure, in which the kidneys have lost 90% of their ability to function, require kidney transplants. Kidney failure can be caused by a variety of diseases and circumstances. Nearly 60% of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease patients in India are due to complications from lifestyle disorders such as diabetes and hypertension. The following are the most common causes of renal failure:
Type 2 diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a condition in which the body is unable to properly metabolise glucose, leading to elevated blood sugar levels. The excess sugar in the blood arteries damages millions of little blood-filtering units inside the kidney over time. The kidneys eventually die as a result of this.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is the second most common cause of kidney failure. Chronic high blood pressure can harden, restrict, or weaken the arteries around the kidneys over time. The damaged blood vessels can't get enough blood to the kidney's tissues, robbing it of oxygen and nutrients. Kidney failure results as a result of this.
Glomerulonephritis: The glomeruli in your kidneys are tiny filters that filter wastes, electrolytes, and excess fluid from your blood. Glomerulonephritis is the inflammation of these filters. Diabetes, poor immunological responses, bacterial and viral infections, lupus, and vasculitis can all contribute to it.
Polycystic kidney disease (PCKD) is a hereditary illness in which cysts (fluid-filled sacs) grow in the kidneys, impairing the kidneys' ability to filter blood.
Serious urinary tract problems: These can be hereditary or congenital disorders, affecting normal kidney function and eventually leading to kidney failure
A kidney transplant is a big surgery, and it comes with a number of risks, just like any other major surgery. Amongst these dangers are:
• Blood clots
• Internal bleeding
• Ureter blockage or leaking
• Infection
• Stroke and heart attack
• Donated kidney being rejected by the body
• Donated kidney failing
Despite these concerns, for someone with chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease, kidney transplantation may be the best therapy choice. Anti-rejection medication may be required for the remainder of one's life following the surgery. These drugs also have a number of hazards and side effects, including bone thinning, high cholesterol, hypertension, hair loss or excessive hair growth on the body, weight gain, acne, infection, and even an increased chance of lymphoma and skin cancer.
If an appropriate match is identified from a live or cadaveric donor, a kidney transplant can be performed. The patient is put under general anaesthetic for the kidney transplant process. During the procedure, a team of surgeons, nurses, and anaesthetists continuously checks the patient's blood oxygen level, blood pressure, and heart rate.
A person with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is eligible for a kidney transplant. However, there are specific qualifications and criteria that must be met in order to be considered:
• They must be in good enough health to tolerate a major surgery and a lifelong drug regimen.
• They must also be willing to follow the doctor's directions and take their medications on a regular basis.
• They will not be a good candidate for kidney transplantation if they have cardiovascular illness, liver disease, cancer, infections such as hepatitis, tuberculosis, or a bone infection. After the transplant, the new kidney will most certainly fail.
• If a kidney transplant is to be effective, the patient must be a nonsmoker who abstains from alcohol and narcotics.
To decide if a person is a good candidate for a successful kidney transplant, the doctor will assess and evaluate them. People in their old years, those with mental illnesses, and alcoholics or drug addicts are not suitable candidates for a transplant.
LOCATING A DONOR
Finding a kidney transplant donor is the most difficult aspect of the procedure. There are two categories of donors: those who give money and those who give their time.
Living donor: Because individuals can live healthy lives with only one kidney, a family member or friend can donate one. Familial donors are preferable since they are more likely to be a good match and the body will be less likely to reject the new kidney. India has the world's second-largest live kidney transplant programme, second just after the United States.
Cadaveric donor: A healthy person's kidney is transplanted into a patient who died in an accident. In India, few people opt to register as organ donors in the event of a fatal accident. In 2011, the government changed the law to include a "required request," which requires intensive care doctors to ask family members for permission to donate a deceased person's organs in case of a brain death.
Finding a Donor: Finding a donor entails locating someone whose kidney is a good match for the body of the patient. This means the donor will have to be screened for blood type compatibility. Donations of incompatible blood types are possible, but patients would require additional medical care before and after the transplant. Furthermore, the chances of the replacement kidney being rejected by the patient's body are much higher in such cases.
Once a blood type match is found, the donor will be checked for tissue typing. This means their HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) typing will be determined. This test looks for genetic markers that indicate whether the transplanted kidney will function well in the patient's body. A good tissue type match ensures that the new kidney is not rejected by the body.
A ‘crossmatch' is the final step in the donor matching procedure. In this procedure, a small amount of the patient's blood is mixed with a sample of the donor's blood in a lab. Antibodies to antigens present in the donor's blood are tested by the lab technician. It's termed a negative crossmatch if they don't react, and it suggests the patient's body won't reject the new kidney
After a kidney transplant, the patient must stay in the hospital for several days to check that the new kidney is working well and that the patient's body is not rejecting the transplanted kidney. Even if they feel well enough to be discharged, they may need to stay in the hospital for 1-2 weeks.
It could take a few weeks for the new kidney to start working correctly, or it could start working right away. Family members' kidneys begin to function sooner than unrelated or cadaveric donors' kidneys. As the incision heals, patients experience pain around the incision site.
They will also be given immunosuppressive drugs to prevent the new kidney from being rejected by the body. Aftercare and medication instructions are provided, and these must be rigorously followed. The doctor will advise you on how much physical exercise your body can handle while it recovers.
The donor’s diet needs to change after a kidney transplant to remain healthy. The doctor will specify what kind of foods to eat or avoid. Once the patient has recovered, they must incorporate moderate activity into their daily routine in order to maintain their health and ensure that the replacement kidney continues to work appropriately. Walking, jogging, and other activities might become a part of their daily routine after the transplant. However, before beginning post-transplant exercises, ask your doctor