The purpose of kidney transplantation is to surgically place a healthy kidney from a donora person who has just died or a living person, most often a family memberinto your body. A kidney from someone who has just died is a deceased donor kidney. A kidney from a living person is a living donor kidney. A functioning kidney transplant does a better job of filtering wastes and keeping you healthy than dialysis. How Kidney Transplantation Works Surgeonsdoctors who specialize in surgeryplace most transplanted kidneys in the lower front part of your abdomen. The kidney is connected to an artery, which brings unfiltered blood into the kidney, and a vein, which takes filtered blood out of the kidney. The surgeon also transplants the ureter from the donor to let urine from the new kidney flow to your bladder. Unless your damaged kidneys cause problems such as infection, they can remain in their normal position. The transplanted kidney takes over the job of filtering your blood. Your body normally attacks anything it sees as foreign, so to keep your body from attacking the kidney you need to take medicines called immunosuppressants for as long as the transplanted kidney functions. Pros and Cons of Kidney Transplantation Following is a list of the pros and cons of kidney transplantation. Kidney Transplantation Pros - A transplanted kidney works like a healthy kidney. - If you have a living donor, you can choose the time of your operation. - You may feel healthier and have an improved quality of life. - You have fewer dietary restrictions. - You wont need dialysis. - People who receive a donated kidney have a greater chance of living a longer life than those who stay on dialysis. Cons - Transplantation requires surgery. - You will go through extensive medical testing at the transplant clinic. - You may need to wait years for a deceased donor kidney. - Your body may reject the new kidney, so one transplant may not last a lifetime. - Youll need to take immunosuppressants, which may cause other health problems, for as long as the transplanted kidney functions. More information about Transplantation is provided in the NIDDK health topic, Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Transplantation. See also the Kidney Failure Treatment Comparison Chart, which compares peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis, and transplantation. 
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