What is a kidney transplant?

Kidney transplant or kidney transplant is transplanting a kidney in a patient with advanced kidney disease. Depending on the source of the recipient organ, kidney transplantation is typically classified as from a deceased donor (formerly known as cadaverous), or as a living donor transplant. Live donor kidney transplants are further characterized as genetically related transplantation (relative-living) or unrelated transplantation (unrelated-living), depending on whether or not there is a biological relationship between the donor and recipient.

Since in most cases the existing kidneys, which are barely functioning, are not removed, the new kidney is usually placed in a different place from the original kidney (usually in the right iliac fossa given its best surgical approach), and as a result it is often necessary to use a different source of blood:

• The previously branched renal artery of the abdominal aorta in the donor is often connected to the internal iliac or hypogastric artery.
• The renal vein, which previously drained into the inferior vena cava in the donor, is often connected to the external iliac vein.

The implanted kidney urether is sutured to the bladder to drain the formed urine.