Medical staff will discuss transplantation with you. For the majority of patients transplantation is the ultimate goal, but for some, particularly those with other medical conditions, long-term dialysis may be the best option. If transplantation is an option for you, you will undergo a series of blood tests and X-rays . After this, you will be referred to a transplant surgeon for further assessment. At this stage you will be given more information about the actual procedure.
Most patients receive a kidney from someone who has died in hospital on a life support machine.
However the best transplants come from living people - who must be a close relative, or in certain cases, a partner or close friend. Live donor transplants can be carefully planned, instead of coming as a surprise at any time, and the kidney is proved in advance to be very healthy. The transplanted kidney is placed in one or other groin beneath the skin and muscle. As with most surgery, you may feel a bit groggy for a couple of days. All being well, you will soon be up and about and home within a couple of weeks.