Kidney transplant

The kidneys are two small organs in the back of the abdomen that filter waste and unneeded fluids out of the blood. If they stop working, waste and fluids build up and can cause serious health problems, or even death.

In a kidney transplant, surgeons place a healthy kidney from either a recently deceased donor or a living donor into your body. The single kidney grows slightly to compensate for the missing or non-functioning one, so both living donor and recipient can lead healthy lives.

At Aurora, our surgeons are pioneering cutting-edge, minimally invasive procedures to reduce surgery times and speed recovery for patients in need of both a liver and a kidney transplant. If you’re in need of a transplant of both organs, watch Dr. Ajay Sahaipal - the first surgeon in the United States to use this method – reveal the benefits of his groundbreaking En Bloc transplant technique.

Watch the video

Why Aurora?

When you’re referred to the Kidney Transplant Program at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center, you can expect compassionate, exceptional care every step of the way.

Evaluation

• Your transplant coordinator at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center will call you to discuss the transplant process and answer your questions.
• Your transplant clinic team will perform diagnostic tests to make sure you’re healthy enough for a transplant. We’ll also talk with you and your family so you’ll understand how transplantation will affect your life.
• Our selection committee will decide whether transplantation is the best option for you. If so, you’ll be registered with the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS), the national computerized list that matches transplant recipients with available organs.

Before your kidney transplant

You’ll meet regularly with your transplant team so we can keep you as healthy as possible while you await transplantation. Your transplant physician and transplant nurse coordinator will monitor you closely during the waiting period. The wait for a matching kidney can range from a few days to a few years. We know waiting for an organ transplant is difficult, so we’ll provide both emotional and medical support.

What to expect

During your transplant surgery, you’ll have anesthesia so you won’t feel any pain. Your surgeon will make an incision in your abdomen and insert the donor organ, attaching it to other organs and blood vessels in your body. In most cases, your surgeon will leave your original kidneys in place.

Recovery after surgery

You’ll stay in one of our specialized intensive care units at Aurora St. Luke’s as you recover. Your transplant team will monitor you closely for signs of infection, rejection and medication side effects. You may start physical therapy, too.

When you’re well enough, you’ll go home. We’ll work closely with you on your home care and rehabilitation, and you’ll visit our transplant clinic regularly so we can make sure you’re recovering well. You may have blood tests, radiological studies or biopsies during your visits. You’ll also get ongoing education and support. (If you live far away, you can have blood and lab work done through your primary care physician and sent to Aurora St. Luke’s.)

Your doctors will fine-tune your immunosuppressive medications as you recover. You’ll need to take them for the rest of your life to keep your body from rejecting your new kidney.

Within a few months, you should feel strong enough to go back to work and daily activities.

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Knowing all your options can make life's toughest decisions a little easier.