Kidney Transplantation Procedure

Kidney disease is one of the major public health issues in the United States as the number of people suffering from this condition has tripled in the last two decades. Given the increase in the number of people suffering from kidney disease, the treatment of this condition has become critical in improving the quality of life for end-stage patients. According to Barry (2016), kidney transplantation is the most suitable treatment for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). It is the most commonly performed solid organ transplant process and has developed to include the process of continued quality improvement. Over the past few years, kidney transplantation has evolved to include a systematic team approach with a focus on improving patients quality of life. This paper examines the preoperative and postoperative procedures in kidney transplantation based on anatomy and physiology.

Preoperative Procedures

Kidney transplantation procedure begins by selecting a donor from two different sources i.e. a living donor or a deceased donor. Living donors must be individuals in excellent health with the ability to give informed consent after being well informed about the transplantation. Such donors could include family members, close friends, or other individuals willing to donate their kidneys. On the other hand, a deceased donor is an individual who has suffered brain death. Such individuals can give consent for the use of their kidneys in transplantation at the time of death. In addition, their family members can give such consent or permission as well. After such consent is given, the kidneys are removed and stored until a recipient is identified (Ascher, Chandran & DiPaola, 2015). When identifying a donor, donor imaging is carried out to evaluate the renal size, anatomic abnormalities, vascular variations, relative function, and associated pathologies (Barry, 2016). In some cases, a computerized axial tomography scan is carried out. The main objective of donor imaging is to leave the living donor with a better kidney. In addition to donor imaging, other tests are conducted as part of the transplant evaluation process. These tests include blood type testing, tissue typing, crossmatch, and serology. These blood tests are carried out to identify the type of blood and tissue present and to help match a donor kidney to the recipient.

The next stage in this process is recipient preparation, which is carried out to identify any existing contraindications, risk of recurrent renal disease, and immunologic risk factors (Barry, 2016). This stage of the preoperative kidney transplantation process helps to identify unsuitable anatomy for the technical success of the transplantation. A...…(Ascher, Chandran & DiPaola, 2015). Postoperative procedures are essential in kidney transplantation because the body can fight off the transplanted organ since it is a foreign object. The body is likely to fight off the foreign organ as it fights off viruses and bacteria that cause illness.

Postoperative procedures in kidney transplantation are also carried out to help manage or deal with complications related to the transplant process. Some of the potential complications of kidney transplantation include bleeding, blood clots, rejection of the transplanted organ, infection, heart attack or stroke, and tube leakage or blockage. To help in the management of complications, postoperative procedures involve administering anti-rejection medications. Some of the medications administered by physicians include anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-proliferative medications, antilymphocyte drugs, and cytokine inhibitors. Patients are given a checkup and follow-up schedule to monitor the functioning of the new kidney.

In conclusion, kidney transplantation is a complex procedure that is carried out in different stages i.e. preoperative, kidney transplant surgery, and post-operative procedures. Each of these stages has different procedures that are geared toward enhancing the well-being and health of patients. As evident in this discussion, the process can generate some complications, which are mostly managed using anti-rejection medications. Over the past few years, laparoscopic kidney transplant has emerged as the most…