Complications & Risks
As with any major surgery, kidney transplantation has potential risks and complications which patients should be aware of before undergoing the operation. The complications that may result from kidney transplantation include those related to the procedure, rejection of the donor organ, and the side effects of taking immunosuppressants required to prevent your immune system from rejecting the donated kidney. Complications of kidney transplant occur mostly in the first 2 months of the surgery. However, we will discuss the short-term and long-term complications.
Short-term complications
- Blood thrombus (clot) can form in the arteries that are supplying the donated kidney. The probability of occurrence of a significant thrombus is around one out of every 100 kidney transplants. The human body is usually capable of breaking down blood clots, otherwise, thrombolytic medications should be given to resolve these clots before blocking completely the blood supply of the kidney.
- Infection is a probable complication, yet operation rooms nowadays are more equipped with sterilization tools reducing the risk of infection. Fortunately, most cases of infection such as UTI, pneumonia, and nephritis are manageable.
- Kidney rejection is the most undesired outcome of any transplantation. Organ Rejection is when the recipient’s immune system thinks by mistake that the implanted organ is a foreign body and attacks it. Although anti-rejection medication is prescribed, rejection could just occur. Up to 30% of patients develop a degree of kidney rejection. Rejection could occur at any time after surgery, but it most commonly occurs shortly within the first six months after the procedure. Fortunately, kidney rejection could be reversed in most cases by appropriate management.
- A blocked or leaking ureter is reported to be a postoperative complication of transplantation. A ureter is a 20 to 30 cm tube that transports urine from the kidney to the urinary bladder. For some reason, the ureter may get blocked after surgery but usually, it could be unblocked by inserting in it a hollow tube called a catheter.
- Excessive bleeding due to vascular injury. Patients with bleeding tendencies and clotting disorders are more susceptible to bleeding during a kidney transplant.
