“A kidney transplant is a surgery to place a healthy kidney from a donor (living or deceased) into a person with kidney failure, taking over the work of their failing kidneys, often eliminating the need for dialysis and offering a longer, healthier life with more energy.
The transplant procedure involves placing the new kidney in the lower abdomen, connecting it to blood vessels, and typically leaves the original kidneys in place, requiring lifelong immunosuppressant drugs to prevent rejection, with recovery involving 1-2 weeks in the hospital and several weeks to months to return to normal activity.”
Transplant surgery is a major operation and comes with risks for complications just like any other. During the surgery, you will receive general anesthesia and possibly other forms of pain-blocking anesthetic as well. Your transplant surgeon will make an incision in your lower abdomen to insert the new kidney and connect it to your blood vessels and bladder. Your own kidneys are not removed at this time. Often your new kidney will begin to function immediately, although sometimes it can take several days for it to “wake up” and start working. In some cases, dialysis is needed for a short time (one to three weeks) after surgery to help your new kidney until it is fully functional. https://pkdcure.org/about-the-disease/living-with-pkd/transplant/life-after-transplant/
