Kidney Transplant Surgery

People who have the following conditions are typically not eligible for kidney transplant surgery:

• Certain infections, such as TB, bone infections or hepatitis
• Inability to take multiple daily medications
• Recent history of cancer
• Heart, lung or liver disease
• Mental illness
• Life-threatening diseases
• High-risk behaviors such as smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, etc.

Patients who qualify for kidney transplant surgery are added to the national waiting list when they pass certain tests. While they wait patients will continue regular testing to ensure compatibility with possible donors. Kidney donations can come from a living donor, such as a family member or friend, or someone who is deceased. Donor organs must be compatible with the patient's blood and tissue types. 

Tests are performed again when a potential donor is identified to check for:

• Compatibility with the available donor organ
• Infections, antibodies and illnesses, such as HIV and hepatitis
• Baseline measurement of heart and brain functions

Transplant surgery is scheduled as soon as a transplant patient and donor are matched.

Your doctor will prescribe immunosuppressant medication that you take before and after the operation to help prevent rejection of the donor kidney. This medication may have side effects. Talk to your doctor about which medicine may be right for you.

During the kidney transplant procedure:

• You will go under anesthesia.
• The procedure takes approximately four hours to complete.
• You will be moved to a recovery room for two or more hours.
• The hospital stay is three to seven days.
• Follow-up appointments will help make sure recovery is on track.
• Patients are usually back to work within four to eight weeks.

Your doctor may ask you to think about weight loss prior to being considered for a kidney transplant.

Here’s why:

Losing weight before transplantation can have a lot of benefits:

• Improved transplant eligibility: reaching a healthier weight may help you qualify for the transplant list sooner
• Shorter time to listing: meeting weight criteria may reduce delays in being added to the transplant list
• Lower risk of heart disease: Weight loss reduces strain on your heart and blood vessels
• Improvement in other medical conditions: conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea often improve
• Better outcomes after transplant: patients at a healthier weight often recover more smoothly and have better long-term results

MaineHealth is here to help

If losing weight is part of your treatment plan for transplant surgery, MaineHealth Weight Management may be able to help. MaineHealth Weight Management offers personalized comprehensive weight loss care through lifestyle modification, anti-obesity medications and weight loss surgery. Our team can help you meet your weight and health goals with a personal approach to weight loss.  We provide in-person care in Kennebunk and South Portland, as well as via telehealth. Our team includes: 

• Surgeons
• Physicians
• Advanced practice providers
• Dietitians
• Behavioral health professionals

Questions? Ready to get started? 

Please reach out to our team any time. We are here to guide and support you on your journey to better health. Together, we will work toward your goals for kidney transplant and beyond. Have your transplant surgeon or primary care provider place a referral to MaineHealth Weight Management. We have two convenient locations:

• MaineHealth Weight Management - Kennebunk 
• MaineHealth Weight Management - South Portland