How do I start the process for a kidney transplant?
- Contact the Transplant Specialty Center – our transplant navigator will take a brief patient history and register you for an evaluation day. If any of your friends and family are interested in learning about living donation, invite them to come with you to this visit or suggest they call the transplant center at (313)-343-3047.
- Attend evaluation day – meet with members of the transplant team, learn expectations, criteria and requirements for a successful transplant experience.
- Complete medical tests – these tests can include blood work, ultrasound, x-rays, EKG, and other vital screenings that will help determine if transplant is safe for you.
- Patient placed on the waiting list – if you are eligible for transplant, you will be placed on the waiting list.
- Stay active on the waiting list – over time you will need to repeat many of the tests you had during your evaluation to monitor your health and candidacy for transplant.
- Stay in contact with your transplant coordinator – call your coordinator if anything changes, such as your address, insurance or health situation.
How long does it take to get a kidney transplant?
- A living donor kidney transplant can happen electively and typically within a year or less of finding a matching donor who is able to donate.
- A deceased donor kidney transplant takes on average, 3-5 years. However, this can vary from state to state. There are other factors that can affect your wait time. Matching donor and recipient is based on medical condition, where the patient lives, how long the patient has been on dialysis and the waiting list. Your chances of getting a kidney increases over time.
What is transplant surgery like?
Kidney transplant surgery typically lasts about three hours. After arriving in the operating room, you will be given general anesthesia and put to sleep. The surgeon will make an incision on one side of your lower abdomen and the donor kidney will be placed in your pelvic area where it will be well protected. The blood vessels from the kidney will be reconnected and the ureter will be stitched to your bladder. This will allow the urine from your new kidney to flow down to your bladder.
What happens after transplant?
During your recovery period, the care team will frequently check your vital signs, draw blood, collect urine for lab tests, monitor your urine output and administer medications. You can expect to spend about three to four days in the hospital after surgery. Your nurses will help you regain strength and the post-transplant coordinator and transplant pharmacist will teach you how to take your medications and care for yourself when you go home. Close follow-up is essential for the success of your transplant. After you are discharged, you will return to the transplant clinic for follow-up lab work and meet with the transplant team over the course of several weeks.
