What happens during the Procedure?
The transplant procedure is carried out under general anesthesia, it takes normally 2-4 hours. A kidney transplant is a heterotopic transplant, which means that the kidney is put in a different location than the existing kidneys. The surgeon makes a 2-to-5-inch incision in the lower part of one side of the abdomen where the donated kidney is placed.
Then the surgeon connects the blood vessels of the donated kidney to the patients’ blood circulation. The ureter of the new kidney is also connected to the patient’s urinary bladder. Unless the patient’s own kidneys cause serious complications such as frequent infection, high blood pressure, kidney stones, or pain, the patient keeps it.
