Kidney Transplant Pros and Cons: What You Need to Know

Chronic kidney disease and kidney failure are two frightening health prospects. They can drain you of energy, make you feel sluggish, and force you into highly-restrictive lifestyles. If you or a loved one is going through this, you want solutions.
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Naturally, you’ll consider a kidney transplant. However, assessing the benefits and risks of different kidney treatments can be overwhelming. But with the right information, it doesn’t need to be.

In this blog, we’ll break things down and give an overview of some of the pros and cons of kidney transplant. With this in mind, you may have more context to confidently make informed treatment decisions for yourself or a loved one.

Kidney Transplants 101

Before we get to the benefits and risks of kidney transplants, let’s take a look at some of the basic things that must happen before a transplant. 

The process of a kidney transplant begins with eligibility. Patients seeking a kidney transplant must either currently be on dialysis or immediately facing the prospect of it, and also be free of cancer or other diseases that could lead to negative health outcomes following the transplant.

Second, eligible patients must be fully prepared to undergo the transplant procedure. This means you not only have to be healthy enough to be operated on, but you also must be financially prepared to cover the operation, and have a support network in place that can assist you during recovery.
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Finally, when you’re fully cleared and ready for a transplant, you are registered and placed on a waiting list. How soon you receive a transplant depends on factors such as blood type and body size, as these are essential to the success of the transplant. If a family member is a match and willing to donate a kidney, this is typically the fastest route to transplant, and also tends to produce the best result.

Benefits of Kidney Transplant

The benefits of a kidney transplant are huge, and can literally change your life:

• Live longer: Kidney transplant recipients live significantly longer than those who remain on dialysis. Significantly longer too: we’re talking a decade or more.
  
• No more dialysis: Dialysis is a complex treatment option, and while it’s less extreme than a transplant, it significantly reduces a patient's quality of life. With a kidney transplant, you don’t have to do dialysis, freeing you to many additional benefits.
  
• Higher quality of life: If you receive a kidney transplant, perhaps the greatest benefit is the improvement to your quality of life. Treatments such as dialysis change everything about your daily life; a kidney transplant allows you to lead a healthier, more active life. You can travel, work, or exercise in ways you were able to before kidney disease.

Risks and Disadvantages of Kidney Transplant

Kidney transplants are a remarkable health solution. They offer many people a new lease on life and the opportunity to get back to the things they love. However, there are risks involved with the transplant process. 

• Intense procedure: While kidney transplant procedures themselves are safe, a patient must truly be healthy enough to handle it. Kidney transplants are a strenuous and complex medical procedure, and as such, there are risks associated with it. 
• Risk of infection and illness: Following the transplant procedure, you have to take immunosuppressants (anti-rejection medications) to prevent your immune system from destroying the new organ. This is essential for the operation’s success, but it can also make you more susceptible to infections or diseases.
• Other uncommon complications: Kidney transplants are remarkably successful; however, it’s not a perfect solution. While it’s highly unlikely, your kidney transplant could fail, kidney disease could return, or other serious complications could come up.

Keep in mind these risks aren’t reasons to avoid a kidney transplant; to discuss what’s the best treatment for your health, talk to a nephrologist today.

Talk to a Nephrologist Today to Learn if a Kidney Transplant is Right for You

Kidney transplants are nothing short of incredible, unbelievable medical operations. They give people who are afraid, tired, and often isolated a chance to get back to the life they had before kidney disease or failure.
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If you or a loved one is suffering from kidney failure or end-stage renal disease, a kidney transplant may be a treatment option. To learn more about kidney transplants, contact the experts in kidney health at Milwaukee Nephrologists today. They can assess your health, determine the best treatment solutions, and answer your questions at every stage of the transplant journey.