Kidney transplant is a potential solution of kidney failure. It is a surgical procedure in which one or both the kidneys are replaced with donor organs from a live or deceased person. Generally, dialysis is the primary treatment for people whose kidneys have failed and only some of them qualify for a kidney transplant procedure.
A kidney transplant is seen as a better alternative because it can free you from a lifelong dependence on dialysis machine. But, as mentioned earlier, it is not suitable for everyone. Obese people and those having active infections, for example, are not fit for undergoing a kidney transplant surgery.’
Apart from this, patients may also need to take immune suppressing medications, after the transplant, to keep the immune system from attacking the donated (new) organ. Kidney transplants are not risk free and have both short term and long term complications.
Here’s a list of some short term complications of a kidney transplant.
* Blood clots: The primary function of the kidney is to filter waste from the blood and remove it from the body through urine. When the new kidney gets connected to the arteries, there is a chance of blood clots developing in those arteries. While medication can be taken to dissolve those clots in some cases, some other cases in which blood supply gets blocked demand removal of the organ.
* Minor infections: Infections like Urinary tract infections, cold and flu may develop after surgery. Some of the neurologists in Kenya also reported that infections are among the common post transplant neurological complications.
* Urine leakage: During the first month after the surgery, urine may leak from where the ureter joins the bladder. A further surgery might be required to repair it.
Here’s a list of some long-term complications of a kidney transplant surgery.
* Immunosuppressant side effects: The medication given to prevent your body’s immune system from attacking the kidney may have multiple side effects such as high blood pressure, abdominal pain, extra hair growth, swollen gums, thinning of bones and much more.
* Diabetes: Diabetes also becomes a common lifelong condition after the surgery. The person’s blood sugar level becomes too high.
* Cancer: As the person becomes more vulnerable to the effects of infection, it increases his risk of developing some types of cancer like melanoma (skin-cancer) and lymphoma.
One must consider all these complications before undergoing a kidney transplant surgery. For more queries on Kidney Transplant in Kenya or other developing nations, contact Max healthcare today.
By Rohit Bhel
