Posts Tagged ‘Kidney Surgery’

Renal Failure Treatment: Should You Turn to Transplant?


A kidney transplant is one of the most widely used medical procedures today. There are a total of approximately 9000 transplants each year for renal failure treatment.  In most cases it is the most sought after options as a solution for kidney failure.  The other two options are hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis.  The reason that kidney transplants are so sought after is because people who receive them generally have a higher quality of living than those who choose to undergo one of the different types of dialysis.  If you are considering a kidney transplant, it is important to speak with a physician about determining whether or not it is right for you.  You may also wish to speak with someone who has undergone this procedure as a treatment for kidney disease.


Despite the fact that kidney transplants are so widely practiced, there are still risks involved.  There is a possibility that your body will reject the new kidney.  Sometimes infections or internal bleeding can develop from the surgery.  It may also be possible that the new kidney will just fail for some unknown reason.  Although these risks are present, it is still the general consensus that kidney transplant is preferable to dialysis.  This is because kidney recipients are able to live a more normal life. Dialysis takes frequent visits and a large amount of time.  After the transplant you will be able to enjoy this time with family instead of sitting around hooked to a dialysis machine.

How Kidney Transplant Works

A kidney transplant is surgery to replace non functioning kidneys with new donor kidneys.  There are two different types of donors.  The first type is a living donor. These are usually friends or family members that have come forward and offered to give the recipient a kidney. It only takes one kidney for proper function.  The other type of donor is a cadaver donor.  This is a person who has recently died but previously made their kidney available in the event of their death.

In either case, the success of the transplant is based on having the closest possible match with the blood and tissue.  Family members are usually the best bet, but this is not always the case.  There will be tests done to make sure there is a match between the donor and the recipient.  The closer the match, the less likely the kidney is to be rejected.   Once the transplant is complete, the new kidney usually begins to function immediately and renal failure is cured.   There are many natural renal failure treatments that are available to help maintain proper kidney function as well, before the need of transplant arises. However sometimes a kidney transplant is the only logical renal failure treatment option – natural remedies can also help recovery and improve the transplant is a success.