A kidney transplant can be a long and overwhelming process. You may have many questions or concerns during your transplant journey.
Emory Healthcare’s kidney transplant team can explain the full process. We make sure you know what to expect from your initial evaluation, surgery, recovery and post-transplant life.
When you’re waiting on donor organs for a kidney transplant, fast communication is key. Your transplant coordinator will call you when organs become available. You must quickly return our call or we will move on to the next person on the wait list.
Your coordinator will give you instructions about when and where to arrive at the hospital. This first call doesn’t guarantee your transplant will happen. Your surgeon will examine the donor organs to ensure they are healthy. You will also have a blood test to confirm that you’re a good match. If you’re not, your body may reject the kidney and pancreas.
Here's what happens during the transplant process.
Your transplant team will meet you when you arrive at the hospital and complete the testing that is needed prior to transplant.
Before your procedure, your surgery team connects you to machines that monitor your blood pressure, blood oxygen levels and heart rate. Once you arrive in the operating room, you will receive anesthesia to help you sleep through the procedure. Once you’re asleep, your surgeon makes an incision in your abdomen.
Your surgeon places the donor kidney in your pelvic area. The new organ is well protected there. They attach blood vessels from the new kidney to your large blood vessels. They also connect the new kidney’s ureter to your bladder. The ureter is the tube that allows urine to flow from the kidney to your bladder.
If you’re having a pancreas transplant at the same time, your surgeon places the new pancreas in your abdomen and connects it to blood vessels. They also transplant and attach a small section of donor small intestines (duodenum).
Our surgeons usually place ureteral stents during kidney-pancreas transplant surgeries. These are hollow plastic tubes in the transplanted ureter between the kidney and the bladder. Your surgeon will tell you if you have a ureteral stent. This stent will be removed a few weeks after transplant.
You can expect your kidney transplant surgery to last a few hours.
A full recovery from a kidney or a kidney-pancreas transplant can take several months. Your transplant team will be with you at every step to help you heal.
After surgery, you will wake up in a recovery room in either our transplant unit or surgical intensive care unit. You will be attached to several monitoring machines for the first few days after surgery.
You can expect to spend several days in the hospital after your transplant.
Before you leave the hospital, you will meet with your post-transplant team. Your post-transplant coordinator, pharmacist, social worker and nurses will prepare you for discharge. They will also teach you how to care for your new kidney and pancreas.
In addition, they will arrange follow-up care and appointments. You can reach your post-transplant coordinator at any time by calling 855-366-7989.
After discharge from the hospital, you will have regular appointments in our Outpatient Transplant Clinic. Keep a daily record of your weight, temperature and blood pressure. You should also check your blood sugar levels twice daily if you had a kidney-pancreas transplant. Bring that information with you to every appointment.
If you have a ureteral stent, we will remove it several weeks after your surgery. You will receive a letter from the Department of Urology with the date, time and location of your appointment.
During the first year after your surgery, you will meet many times with your transplant team. Your post-transplant coordinator will schedule these appointments. Check-ups will become less frequent over time.
Like with any transplant procedure, complications are possible. Some are minor, but others will require more medical attention. Your transplant team will talk with you about the signs and symptoms to watch for.
Some of the most common post-transplant complications are:
Call your transplant coordinator if you experience any of these symptoms:
After your transplant, you will take medicine to ensure your new kidney and pancreas stay healthy. These medications are called immunosuppressants. They are anti-rejection medications, and you will take them for as long as you have the transplant.
Our team will talk with you about each medication, how much to take and possible side effects. We can also work with you to determine the best location for medication refills or arrange for medication delivery.
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