Patients are considered for transplantation when they have actual or impending kidney failure. Certain conditions, such as active malignancy or irreversible infection, prohibit patients from being considered for kidney transplantation. Other factors, such as advanced age, cardiopulmonary disease, or substance abuse, may impact a patient's suitability for renal transplantation. Each patient must be evaluated on an individual basis by a transplant surgeon. Patient evaluation includes a complete review of medical history and physical condition, documentation of kidney failure, and laboratory tests.
Most evaluations occur in an outpatient setting.
During the evaluation, all patients and their families are also interviewed by a transplant coordinator and a hospital financial representative, and the potential of living donor transplantation is discussed. Waiting Period Once accepted for transplantation, patients are placed on the waiting list for cadaveric transplantation or preparations are made for living donor transplantation. During the waiting period, the transplant coordinators maintain regular contact with the patient, family members, local physicians, and dialysis units. The schedule for living donor evaluation and transplantation is made jointly by the transplant coordinators, transplant surgeons, local nephrologist and the urology staff. Hospitalization Patients undergo a pretransplant evaluation upon admission.