3- How does kidney transplant surgery work? - Alexander H. Toledo

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al_H8f1cG-I

Answer: B. Immune system rejection of the transplanted organ

Explanation: Early transplants failed because patients’ immune systems recognized the organ as foreign and destroyed it.

What was the main problem with early organ transplants before the 1950s?

A. Lack of surgical skill
B. Immune system rejection of the transplanted organ
C. Donor organs were too small
D. Donor organs could not function outside the body

Answer: C. Joseph Murray

Explanation: Dr. Joseph Murray performed the first successful kidney transplant between identical twins, eliminating the problem of rejection.

Who performed the first successful human kidney transplant in 1954?

A. Yuri Voronoy
B. Alexis Carrel
C. Joseph Murray
D. Thomas Starzl

Answer: C. The donor and recipient were identical twins

Explanation: The transplant worked because the donor and recipient were genetically identical, preventing immune rejection.

Why was Joseph Murray’s 1954 transplant successful?

A. The organ came from a deceased donor
B. The surgery used artificial kidneys
C. The donor and recipient were identical twins
D. The patient was on dialysis before surgery

Answer: C. Filter blood and remove waste

Explanation: The kidneys filter blood, remove waste, and regulate fluid balance, hormones, and red blood cell production.

What is one main function of the kidneys?

A. Pump oxygen throughout the body
B. Produce insulin
C. Filter blood and remove waste
D. Protect against infection

Answer: A. Diabetes and high blood pressure

Explanation: Diabetes and high blood pressure are major causes of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure.

Which of the following is a common cause of kidney failure?

A. Diabetes and high blood pressure
B. Low salt intake
C. Viral infections
D. Cold temperatures

Answer: B. Dialysis

Explanation: Dialysis filters waste and excess fluid from the blood when kidneys can no longer function properly.

What treatment is used when kidneys completely fail and a transplant is not yet possible?

A. Chemotherapy
B. Dialysis
C. Immunotherapy
D. Radiation

Answer: C. It decreases the risk of immune rejection

Explanation: The closer the genetic and immune match, the less likely the recipient’s body will reject the organ.

Why is a close donor–recipient match important in kidney transplantation?

A. It reduces surgical time
B. It increases blood pressure
C. It decreases the risk of immune rejection
D. It lowers the cost of surgery

Answer: C. Immunosuppressive drugs

Explanation: Immunosuppressive drugs reduce the immune response, allowing successful transplants between non-identical individuals.

What medical advance allows non-identical donors to successfully donate kidneys today?

A. Artificial organs
B. New surgical robots
C. Immunosuppressive drugs
D. Cryogenic preservation

Answer: B. In the lower abdomen

Explanation: The donor kidney is placed in the recipient’s lower abdomen and connected to blood vessels and the bladder.

In kidney transplant surgery, where is the donor kidney placed?

A. In the upper chest
B. In the lower abdomen
C. In place of the heart
D. Beside the stomach

Answer: C. They are usually left in place

Explanation: The old kidneys are usually left inside the body unless they cause infection or other complications.

What happens to the recipient’s old kidneys during the transplant?

A. They are always removed
B. They are dissolved naturally
C. They are usually left in place
D. They are transplanted into another person

Answer: B. 12–20 years

Explanation: Most transplanted kidneys function for 12–20 years, depending on donor type and patient health.

How long does a transplanted kidney typically last?

A. 2–5 years
B. 12–20 years
C. 30–50 years
D. A lifetime

Answer: A. A trade of kidneys between two incompatible donor–patient pairs

Explanation: In a paired exchange, two or more donor–recipient pairs swap kidneys to achieve better immune matches.

What is a “paired organ exchange”?

A. A trade of kidneys between two incompatible donor–patient pairs
B. The use of artificial kidneys
C. The removal of both kidneys from a single donor
D. Dialysis treatment done in pairs

Answer: B. About 20,000–30,000

Explanation: Around 20,000–30,000 kidney transplants are performed annually in the U.S.—not 100,000 as sometimes mistakenly cited.

Approximately how many kidney transplants occur each year in the United States?

A. About 5,000
B. About 20,000–30,000
C. About 100,000
D. Over 1 million

Answer: B. Few deaths occur in conditions that preserve organs

Explanation: Only about 0.3% of deaths occur under conditions that keep organs viable for transplantation.

Why do only a small number of deceased individuals become organ donors?

A. Most organs are too old to use
B. Few deaths occur in conditions that preserve organs
C. Hospitals refuse to perform transplants
D. Families usually object to donation

Answer: B. Lack of available donor kidneys

Explanation: There’s a critical shortage of available donor kidneys—around 90,000 people are waiting for transplants.

What is the main limitation of kidney transplantation in the U.S. today?

A. Cost of surgery
B. Lack of available donor kidneys
C. Poor surgical success rates
D. Legal restrictions

Answer: B. Artificial and 3D-printed kidneys

Explanation: Research is underway on lab-grown, 3D-printed, and artificial kidneys to meet future transplant needs.

What new frontier are scientists exploring to solve the organ shortage?

A. Gene-edited foods
B. Artificial and 3D-printed kidneys
C. Radiation therapy
D. Muscle transplants

Answer: B. A machine that filters the blood

Explanation: Dialysis performs the kidneys’ filtering function for people whose kidneys no longer work properly.

What is dialysis?

A. A surgery to replace a kidney
B. A machine that filters the blood
C. A drug that stops kidney failure
D. A way to grow new kidneys

Answer: C. It reduces the risk of organ rejection

Explanation: A close match reduces the chance that the recipient’s immune system will reject the kidney.

Why is finding a close donor–recipient match important?

A. It prevents the need for anesthesia
B. It makes the surgery faster
C. It reduces the risk of organ rejection
D. It improves the donor’s recovery

Answer: C. Immunosuppressive drugs

Explanation: Immunosuppressants suppress the immune system to prevent organ rejection.

Which medical advance allows kidney transplants between non-identical people?

A. Cryogenic freezing
B. Artificial kidneys
C. Immunosuppressive drugs
D. Blood transfusions

Answer: A. Trading kidneys between two incompatible donor–patient pairs

Explanation: In a paired exchange, two or more donor–recipient pairs swap kidneys to find better matches.

What is a “paired organ exchange”?

A. Trading kidneys between two incompatible donor–patient pairs
B. Transplanting both kidneys from one donor
C. Exchanging organs between hospitals
D. Donating to a family member only

Answer: B. Using laparoscopic or robotic-assisted techniques

Explanation: Today, most donor kidneys are removed through minimally invasive laparoscopic or robotic-assisted surgery, which shortens recovery time and reduces pain.

How is a living donor’s kidney most commonly removed in modern transplant surgery?

A. Through open abdominal surgery
B. Using laparoscopic or robotic-assisted techniques
C. By freezing and extracting it
D. Using magnetic removal tools

Answer: B. Because previous failed kidneys are usually not removed

Explanation: Surgeons usually leave the old kidneys in place unless they cause problems, so after multiple transplants, patients can have several kidneys in their body.

Why might a kidney transplant patient end up with four or even five kidneys?

A. Because multiple kidneys are transplanted at once
B. Because previous failed kidneys are usually not removed
C. Because artificial kidneys are added after surgery
D. Because the body regenerates old kidneys

Answer: C. Most recover quickly and live normal, healthy lives

Explanation: Most living donors leave the hospital within a few days and go on to live healthy, active lives with one kidney.

What is generally true about the health of kidney donors after surgery?

A. They face major lifelong complications
B. They must remain in the hospital for months
C. Most recover quickly and live normal, healthy lives
D. They cannot live an active life afterward

Answer: C. Most recover quickly and live normal, healthy lives

Explanation: Most living donors leave the hospital within a few days and go on to live healthy, active lives with one kidney.

What is generally true about the health of kidney donors after surgery?

A. They face major lifelong complications
B. They must remain in the hospital for months
C. Most recover quickly and live normal, healthy lives
D. They cannot live an active life afterward

Answer: C. 17

Explanation: Around 17 people die every day in the U.S. while waiting for an organ transplant, many of whom need a kidney.

Approximately how many patients die each day in the U.S. waiting for a kidney transplant?

A. 2
B. 10
C. 17
D. 40