Transplantation

Transplantation places one healthy kidney into your abdomen. This one kidney is sufficient to replace the work of your two failed kidneys.

A kidney transplant can be the first form of treatment you receive or it can be selected later after receiving dialysis treatments for some time. Transplantation is the preferred treatment for certain people.

You may receive a transplant from a living related donor, a donor who is not related but willing to donate a kidney, or you may receive a kidney from someone who has recently died (deceased donor).

There is a regional matching service that is funded by the federal government. It updates the list of those waiting for a kidney, does the blood typing and tissue matching for the possible deceased donor transplant.

If a living donor is willing to give you a healthy kidney, this donor must be evaluated for medical fitness and compatible blood type. Depending on the type of donor, waiting time for a kidney will vary. The wait for a deceased donor kidney will be longer than that for a living donor due to the shortage of deceased donor kidneys. The surgery will take from 2 to 4 hours and your stay in the hospital will be 5-7 days.

Your doctor will prescribe several new medications to prevent rejection by your body of your new kidney. You will have to take these medications as long as the transplanted kidney works. Transplantation can offer you the greatest potential to return to a healthy and productive life.

Learn more about kidney transplantation from UNOS. The information is also available in español.
 

Transplant Hospitals in New Jersey and Puerto Rico

• Hackensack UMC information can be found at www.hackensackumc.org.
• Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center information can be found at www.lourdesnet.org
• Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital information can be found at www.rwjuh.edu
• St. Barnabas Medical Center and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center kidney transplant information can be found at: www.sbhcs.com/services/renal
• Auxilio Mutuo Hospital information can be found at  www.auxiliomutuo.com

Transplant Resources

• A comprehensive transplant information source can be found at: www.transweb.org
• National transplant data can be found at: www.unos.org
• The National Kidney Foundation site contains consumer information at: www.kidney.org/patients