Kidney Transplantation - Must know facts

Gifting on Valentine is common and common gifts include flowers, apparels, jewels and in some cases, costlier stuff.

On 14 February 2014, a wife witnessed a strange gift where, her husband “gifted” one of his kidneys to his wife. The 62-year old Richard Mach gave one of his kidneys to his ailing wife Joy Mach, who was experiencing kidney problems due to Crohn’s disease. This gift saved her from years of painful dialysis. Isn’t is wonderful to get a gift like this from your loved ones? Let’s take a closer look at kidney transplant.

What is a Kidney Transplant?

Kidneys are vital cogs of our urinary system. They are the natural filters of blood and help in removal of wastes. However, if kidneys fail to work, the only treatment option available maybe dialysis or transplant. Kidney transplantation is a procedure that places a healthy kidney in one’s body.  Kidney transplantation or dialysis is opted for when one’s kidney function typically drops below 20% (insufficient renal function).

Risks of Kidney Transplant

• Rejection of the new kidney (Transplant Rejection) – Happens when the receptor’s immune system mis-detects the new kidney as a foreign object.
• Infection
• Failure of the donor kidney – This arises when the donor kidney fails to function within the new person.
• Blood clots in the arteries

Benefits of Kidney Transplant:

For people with severe chronic kidney disease, kidney transplant may be a better treatment, since survival rates are better than dialysis. It is also less costly than long-term dialysis treatments as it eliminates the need for dialysis. Patients who opt for transplants enjoy healthier life than those who undergo regular dialysis.