Kidney transplant is the surgical process of replacing the diseased kidney with the healthy one. The need for kidney transplant arises when your kidney is not able to function normally. This is the end stage of the renal disease when it is necessary to replace the kidney. If both kidney’s are not function properly then you just need to replace only one kidney. A person can live normally on his one kidney and live his life normally.
Evaluation before kidney transplant
Before going for kidney transplant, you must have to get full health evaluation by taking proper tests and examinations. It will help you in decision making for the kidney transplant. After deciding for the kidney transplant you have to go through the following steps.
- Find out the best match with your kidney. The donor can be a family member or an outsider whose blood group is matching with yours.
- The evaluation will take one day or the several days. On the day of evaluation, you and your family will meet the transplantation team.
- Several health tests and examinations will take place at the transplantation centre and decide that you have need surgery or not.
- Tests you need to do are: blood and tissue type tests, HIV and hepatitis test, prostate exam for men, mammogram and pap smear for women, heart and lung examination, kidney and liver test, colon exam etc.
- You have to ready yourself for the kidney transplant physically as well as mentally. If you are not ready for the surgery then it make your transplantation process dangerous.
- Before surgery, you have to follow the instructions by the doctors about caring yourself as well as your kidney.
- Clear all the doubts about your surgery, by asking the questions about financial support system, insurance policy that will help you to plan and prepare the best care of yourself.
After the evaluation, if you are ready for the transplantation then you need a kidney donor. If you do not have living donor then the team of transplantation will added your name in the waiting list of kidney donor. If living donor is available then your transplantation process can be start earlier.
Post kidney transplantation planning
Once your transplantation process has done then you have to stay in the hospital till doctor’s measure your good health condition. Your stay in the hospital will be depend on some factors like type of transplant procedure, body acceptance of new organ and your overall health condition. Doctors and nurses will take care of you until you will feel comfortable and confident to go home. You need to follow some instruction before going home that is given below.
- Without any assistance you have to follow your medicine schedule correctly.
- Keep thermometer and blood pressure cuff with you to take care of your temperature and blood pressure.
- If any medication problem arise then report immediately to transplant coordinator.
- Keep a record of fluid intake and urine output regularly.
- Regularly follow appointments with transplantation team and tell them your health condition. So that they can give you proper medication.
- After going home keep a record of your weight, blood pressure and temperature daily.
- You need to avoid being around infected people (with colds and flu) at least three months because in this case the danger of infection is more.
After following the above instructions you will recover from the surgery successfully. It will also help the doctors to identify that your body is accepting the new kidney or not. If not then the prescribed medication treatment by doctors will help you to control the rejection.