Kidney Transplant

Medicana Health Group serves patients who need organ transplant surgery with superior healthcare services at organ transplantation units of Medicana International Ankara, Bahçelievler, Çamlıca, and Medicana International Istanbul Hospitals – all certified by the Ministry of Health.
Medicana Health Group is among the essential healthcare facilities that support organ donation and transplantation.

Medicana Bahçelievler, Medicana Çamlıca, Medicana International Istanbul, and Medicana International Ankara hospitals and their specialists carry out successful transplant surgeries.
Patients are provided with the best healthcare services, while all details are considered to ensure patient comfort. These services include but are not limited to foods explicitly cooked for patients with kidney failure, as instructed by our dieticians, and vehicles. We will continue making our best efforts to keep you smiling.

What is Kidney Transplant?

Renal failure is a disease that occurs when fluid, urea, creatinine, uric acid, and other toxic substances accumulate in the body secondary to untreatable dysfunction of kidneys and inability to excrete and detoxify harmful substances due to reasons whatsoever. Patients require treatments, such as dialysis and kidney transplant, due to hypertension secondary to fluid accumulation in the body or complaints, including but not limited to nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue, weakness, and loss of appetite – all caused by urea and other toxic substances- or due to medical conditions, such as cardiac arrest that is caused by high potassium level.

There is no chance of survival for patients with end-stage kidney disease if they are left untreated. Those patients have two therapeutic options, namely dialysis and kidney transplantation. Those therapy alternatives should be discussed and selected jointly by the physician, the patient, and the family. Dialysis is a treatment method that ensures the survival of the patient. However, no machine can fulfill all the functions of a native organ. Therefore, kidney transplants have major superiorities regarding survival and quality of life. The patient may survive without any dietary restrictions, including food and drink and any other lifestyle restrictions. The work and social lives of patients are normalized. Thus, patients can spare time for them, which would otherwise be spent on dialysis. They will live longer. It is necessary to emphasize that kidney transplantation costs are far lower than dialysis. The best approach will be surgery after preparations are immediately completed before a fistula is opened and the patient is started on dialysis.

Kidney transplant surgery involves placing an intact organ into the body of a patient who has end-stage kidney disease to fulfill renal functions. A healthy organ is obtained from a cadaver or living donor for kidney transplantation. In our country, living donor kidney transplants account for a substantial part of all kidney transplant surgeries. Living donor transplants have better outcomes than cadaver donor transplants. However, the number of organ donations from cadavers should increase to ensure that organ transplantations can be a cure for more patients.

How is Kidney Transplant Performed?

Kidney transplant implies transferring healthy kidneys of cadavers or living organs to the recipient. In our country, related living donor transplant is the most common type of kidney transplant. We perform living donor transplant surgeries with closed (laparoscopic) methods in our hospital. Since the surgical wound is tiny in transplant surgeries carried out with this method, postoperative pain, and similar complaints are very rare.

Wound-related postoperative problems are also rare. Thus, patients experience a more comfortable postoperative period. Inguinal incision (incision made in the groin region) is made for the recipient surgery. Arteries and veins of the area are prepared. Blood vessels of the kidney are to those vessels, and blood supply to the organ is achieved. The surgery is terminated after the urinary tract is connected to the urinary bladder using an appropriate surgical technique.

When Should Kidney Transplantation Be Carried out?

Dialysis or kidney transplantation is necessary when renal functions are below 15% of normal ranges in a patient with chronic renal failure. Kidney transplants should be primarily considered, and opportunities should be investigated for all patients without contraindication. Dialysis therapy saves the life of dialysis patients and ensures survival. However, it is also associated with various complications, primarily injury of veins over time. Therefore, transplant surgery before dialysis is superior regarding the kidney and the person's health.

Who are not Good Candidates for Kidney Transplant?

There are very few patients for whom kidney transplantation is contraindicated. Transplantation is not an option for patients with active infection. In this case, transplant surgery is carried out after relevant treatment is completed. For patients with tumors, a particular period, depending on the type of tumor, should elapse after the cancer is treated, and transplantation can be performed after the recurrence-free condition is verified. Transplantation is not an option in the presence of metastasis (dissemination of tumor to other organs). Transplantation is not recommended for patients with blood type incompatibility since the body will probably reject the kidney transplant.

Transplant surgery is not performed if a cross-match test, which compares the blood types of the donor and the recipient, is optimistic. Advanced age is a relative factor that should be considered for a kidney transplant. The patient's biological age, general health status, and other organ functions should be assessed in combination. Age alone should not be considered a contraindication for transplantation.

What Are the Benefits of Kidney Transplant Surgery?

Dialysis therapy can only fulfill 10% of the functions of a healthy kidney. A successful kidney transplant can achieve 70 to 80% of the renal functions of a healthy individual.

Has Kidney Transplant Surgery an Advantage over Dialysis?

It has many significant advantages. Most patients will attain an almost everyday life in postoperative 1 to 2 weeks. Except for the medications they will take in the mornings and evenings, their work and social lives will remain within normal ranges. On the contrary to dialysis therapy, they will no longer have to live dependent on a device for 3-4 hours per session, three times a week.

Expected Survival after Kidney Transplant

Today, expected survival periods are much more extended in organ transplantations compared to its alternative, namely dialysis therapy. The success rate of our Kidney Transplant Center is 99 percent.

The life quality of patients who undergo kidney transplantation is similar to that of an average, healthy individual. Since dialysis machines cannot substitute all functions of viable renal tissue, dialysis patients face too many restrictions, including but not limited to the inability to drink water freely and eat everything they want. They experience extra problems, such as anemia, cardiovascular diseases, various infections, etc., over the course of time. Due to those reasons and since they spend an essential part of their time in dialysis centers, they do not have a chance to live similarly to healthy people.

In brief, patients who undergo kidney transplant surgery can engage in both work and social life activities thanks to their psychological and physical health and since they gain the time they spend in dialysis therapy.

Who can Donate a Kidney for Transplantation?

Today, the rules of the coordination system that the Ministry of Health establishes apply to all cadaver kidneys. Lists of patients registered in organ transplantation centers are also available on the computers of the coordination system. A list of patients eligible for kidney transplants is sent to the center by the Ministry. The organ is transplanted to the patient according to the turns written on the list.

Patients with living donors can have a quicker and earlier transplantation. Up to four relatives can donate organs to a patient according to the applicable laws of our country. It is also possible to receive organs from other related or unrelated donors. However, the ethics committee's decision is required for transplantations from these types of donors. A person must be above 18 to donate an organ or tissue. There is no specific upper limit of age. The decision is based on examinations, tests, and studies to determine whether an organ can be obtained from a particular donor candidate.

Can Elderly Persons Donate Organs or Tissues?

Undoubtedly, age is an essential factor, but it should be considered personally for each case. Biological age is more important than the identity age. A review of the heart, kidney, lungs, and other systems is required for the donor. In this way, kidney transplantations from healthy elderly donors are and can be successfully carried out. Blood Type Compatibility in Kidney TransplantationABO blood type compatibility is necessary. Rh compatibility is not required. Donor-recipient pairs are indicated in the table below.

Who Cannot Donate a Kidney?

Patients with cancer, active infection, diabetes mellitus, and pregnant women, as well as patients with kidney disease and any other organ failure, cannot donate a kidney. Decisions should be made for hypertensive patients after all relevant examinations are completed.

Living Donor Kidney TransplantIn our country, living donor kidney transplants account for a substantial part of all kidney transplant surgeries. Since there is no sufficient cadaver organ donation, the waiting period is usually too long. Therefore, patients need to receive long-term dialysis therapy.

Starting patients with an end-stage chronic renal disease is required for medical treatment. A patient must either receive dialysis therapy or undergo kidney transplant surgery. Kidney transplantation is the best modality regarding quality of life, survival, and treatment costs. Therefore, the most ethical and correct decision for a physician is to recommend kidney transplantation initially. A living donor is required to transplant a kidney without the need to wait for a long time. The best solution for patients with a donor who meets those mentioned above legal and medical conditions is to undergo a transplant surgery immediately. Likewise, transplant surgery is the best option for patients who are actively maintained on dialysis therapy if there is a living donor.

Is Kidney Transplant Surgery an Option for Patients with Hepatitis?

Detailed examinations should be made for patients with hepatitis regarding cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis. Transplantation can be performed if such conditions can be ruled out. Medicines used for the treatment of hepatitis B can be maintained after the transplantation. Thus, management of Hepatitis B can be successfully carried out after the kidney is transplanted. For patients with Hepatitis C, medications used to manage hepatitis C cannot be used after kidney transplant surgery. It may lead to the loss of kidneys. Therefore, if treatment is required for patients with Hepatitis C, it is recommended that treatment be completed before the transplantation. Patients with hepatitis should be consulted with a Hepatologist to determine whether the patient is eligible for transplantation.

Is Transplantation An Option For Diabetic Patients?

Diabetic Patients can also undergo transplant surgery. Superiorities of kidney transplantation also apply to diabetic patients. Recently, diabetes mellitus is one of the most common underlying cause of renal failure. Therefore, many diabetic patients undergo kidney transplant surgery. Diabetic patients should be closely followed up and managed after the transplantation.