Treating Kidney Failure With Kidney TransplantationTreating Kidney Failure With Kidney Transplantation

Part of a series designed for people with chronic kidney disease and their families

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Kidney Transplant: An Overview
  3. The Goals of Kidney Transplant
  4. Costs Associated With Kidney Transplant
  5. Evaluating the Recipient
    Table 1. Evaluating a Potential Kidney Recipient
  6. Finding a Good Match
    1. Blood Typing
    2. Tissue Typing
    3. Percent Reactive Antibody (PRA)
    4. Serum Crossmatch
  7. Living-Donor Kidney Transplants
    1. Living-Donor Surgery
    2. Advantages of Living-Donor Kidney Transplants
    3. Disadvantage of Living-Donor Kidney Transplants
    4. Donor Selection
      Table 2. Evaluating a Potential Living Donor
    5. Financial Considerations
    6. Risks for the Living Donor
  8. Non-Living-Donor Kidney Transplants
              Table 3. Becoming an Organ Donor
    1. Advantages and Disadvantages
    2. The Waiting List
    3. Evaluating the Potential Cadaver Donor
    4. When a Cadaver-Donor Kidney Becomes Available
  9. The Transplant Operation
  10. Postoperative Care
  11. Medications
    1. Anti-Rejection Medications
      Table 4. Anti-Rejection Medications Used at the Time of Surgery and After Surgery (Induction Therapy)
      Table 5. Anti-Rejection Medications Used for Maintenance Therapy
      Table 6. Anti-Rejection Medications Used for the Treatment of Acute Rejection
    2. Other Medications
      Table 7. Medications Used to Prevent Infections and Stomach Ulcers After Transplant
  12. Rejection
    Table 8. Types of Rejection Episodes
  13. Possible Complications
  14. Infections
    1. Urinary Infections
    2. Colds and Flu
    3. Pneumonia
    4. Pneumocystis
    5. Tuberculosis
    6. Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
    7. Fungus Infections
  15. Life After the Transplant
    1. Follow-up Care
    2. Returning to Work
    3. Exercise
    4. Having Children
    5. Travel
    6. Diet
  16. Combining Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation
  17. Conclusion

APPENDIX A. Helpful Hints for Taking Medications
APPENDIX B. Your Transplant Health Care Team
APPENDIX C. Words You Need to Know
APPENDIX D. Other Resources

 

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