Contraindications
Who isn’t eligible to have a kidney transplant? Some patients are contraindicated to have kidney transplantation whether to avoid the potential complications of the surgery or risks of immunosuppression. Patients with temporary contraindication could have their surgery as soon as they are free of it, while untreatable contraindications are absolute, and their patients will have to stay on dialysis for the rest of their life. These contraindications are:
- Active or recurring infection that is not fully resolved. Chronic infections such as HCV and HIV are no longer an absolute contraindication of transplantation, yet patients should be carefully evaluated first.
- Chronic severe cardiovascular disease is expected to affect the outcome of the transplantation.
- Malignancy and history of tumors are red flags for a kidney transplant. Doctors usually recommend not performing transplantation before appropriate treatment of the tumor. Research revealed that the rate of tumor recurrence is up to 50% if transplantation is performed within the period of tumor therapy.
- Substance abuse can directly affect the outcome of the transplantation and compromise its results. Although substance abuse is a relative contraindication, Patients should be treated first for drug dependence before undergoing surgery.
- Chronic lung disease cause impaired ventilation and oxygenation. Such conditions significantly reduce the life expectancy of the recipient and subsequently reduce his chances of getting a donated organ.
- A bleeding disorder is a controllable medical condition, yet patients diagnosed with hyper or hypocoagulability shouldn’t undergo kidney transplants until treated.
- Morbid obesity is a non-favorable condition for a kidney transplant.
- Pregnancy is a controversial contraindication of a kidney transplant. Generally, doctors recommend performing surgery after delivery to avoid pre-term labor. Pregnant women with end-stage kidney disease are subjected to their nephrologist evaluation and decision.
