Kidney transplants

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What does a kidney transplant involve?

Replacing the entire organ with another taken from a donor.

Why is a kidney transplant a better treatment than kidney dialysis?

The patient is usually able to lead a normal lifestyle afterwards, without restrictions imposed by dialysis treatment

What is a potential problem of organ donation?

Presence of protein antigens on surface of cells. Every cell in our body has these antigens and are unique to each individual.

What do protein antigens help with?

Help our body distinguish between our own cells and invading pathogens or other foreign cells.

What is rejection of a transplanted organ?

The organ from the donor displays different antigen proteins, so patient’s immune system will detect the organ as foreign and initiate an immune response against it.

What can be done to reduce likelihood of organ rejection?

• Tissue typing

• Immuno-suppressant drugs

What is tissue typing?

Donors and patients are matched based on how similar their antigens are. This can mean there is a long wait to find a suitable donor - dialysis used in meantime.

What are immuno-suppressant drugs?

Patients take for rest of their life after transplant. Reduce effect of immune system and so reduce the response to transplanted kidney.

Disadvantage of immuno-suppressant drugs

The drug cannot target the immune response on the kidneys only, and so patient has reduced immune system to all other pathogens and this increases the risk of infections.

What happens after a maximum of 10 years after a kidney transplant?

It must be replaced or returned to dialysis

Advantages of kidney transplant

• patients can lead a normal and non-restrictive lifestyle.

• cheaper than kidney dialysis overall.

Disadvantages of kidney transplants

• Patients must take drugs which increases risk of infections.

• There is a shortage of organ donors.

• Transplanted organs only last 8 to 9 years on average.

• Risks associated with operation - excessive bleeding, infections, allergic response to anaesthetic,