Kidney Transplant

Kidney transplantation is one of the most effective treatments for patients with kidney failure. A healthy kidney from a living or cadaveric donor is transplanted into the patient. This procedure significantly improves the patient's quality of life and eliminates the need for dialysis.

Kidney transplantation is performed free of charge for patients covered by SSI. Under the assurance of Yaşam Health Group, you can make a new start to your life. Chronic kidney disease is a condition in which kidney function deteriorates over time as a result of permanent damage to the kidneys. When this damage reaches a serious level, the kidneys may completely lose their function. In such a situation, a condition called "Chronic Renal Failure" or "End-Stage Renal Failure" occurs and dialysis or kidney transplantation is necessary for the patient to survive. A patient diagnosed with end-stage renal failure should be referred to an organ transplant center as soon as possible by a nephrologist. Here, the nephrologist evaluating the patient first assesses the possibility of living donor kidney transplantation. If a living donor cannot be found, the patient is placed on a suitable dialysis method and then registered on the deceased list.

Dialysis is a treatment that keeps the patient alive, but no device can replace all the functions of the natural kidney. For this reason, organ transplantation offers great advantages in terms of both the patient's life expectancy and quality of life. If possible, it is ideal for patients to complete their preparations and undergo surgery before they start dialysis. For patients who have not started dialysis or for patients who are currently undergoing dialysis treatment, relatives who are blood group compatible and who do not have blood pressure, diabetes and kidney disease are considered as living donor candidates.
The nephrologist refers the patient and potential donor candidates to the transplant coordinator. At the center, first of all, blood group tests are performed again and after the LCM study, the patient and donor candidate undergo detailed check-up procedures. Patients and donors who pass all tests successfully are examined by the nephrology and surgical teams. The tests and examinations are evaluated by the council and the final medical decision is taken in this council.
The most common causes of chronic kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, family history of kidney disease and being over 60 years of age. People with diabetes and hepatitis B and C carriers are also suitable candidates for kidney transplantation. In living donor transplants, tissue incompatibility usually does not affect the transplant decision. In addition, in cases where a donor is available but cannot be transplanted due to blood group incompatibility or incompatibility in immunologic tests, cross-transplantation (matching with another blood group compatible couple) can overcome this obstacle.

Blood Group Compatibility in Kidney Failure

It is a method applied for patients who do not have a compatible donor. People who want to give a kidney to their relatives even if their blood type is not compatible are evaluated for cross-transplantation at the organ transplant center, taking into account factors such as the filtering capacity of the kidney, LCM results, age and existing diseases.
For example, the blood type B relative of a recipient with blood type A donates his or her kidney to another patient with blood type B, while the blood type A donor of the second patient donates his or her kidney to the first patient. Patients with blood type A or B may be suitable candidates for cross-transplantation if they cannot find a compatible donor. However, patients with blood type O or AB are less likely to receive a cross-transplant, and this should be particularly recognized.

Who cannot be a kidney donor?

Cancer patients
Carriers of the HIV (AIDS) virus
Blood pressure patients
Diabetics
Kidney patients

Pregnant women
Those with another organ failure
Heart patients

Cadaveric Kidney Transplant

Today, the distribution of kidneys obtained from cadavers (deceased) is done according to the rules of the coordination system established by the Ministry of Health. The lists of patients registered at organ transplant centers are also available on the Ministry's coordination computer. The list of patients eligible for transplantation is transmitted by the Ministry to the relevant center and the organ is transplanted to the appropriate patient according to this list.
While the majority of kidney transplants worldwide are performed with kidneys obtained from cadavers, in our country this ratio is reversed, with cadaveric transplants constituting only -30 of the total. The most important way to increase the number of organ transplants is to increase the number of organs from cadavers. The only way to achieve this goal is to ensure organ transplantation coordination in which trained transplant coordinators are in charge and teamwork is prioritized.

Life After Kidney Transplant

A new life awaits you after a kidney transplant. It is possible to live a healthy life with your new kidney, but there are some rules you must follow during this process. You need to cooperate fully with your doctors, nurses and other health care providers. Physical recovery after a transplant can take time and in the first few months you should pay attention to your lifestyle, especially to avoid infections. These rules are very important to protect both your kidney and your health.
Close follow-up and treatment after transplantation is as critical as the surgical procedure. Early problems can affect the long-term health of the kidney. When transplant patients take their medications regularly and attend follow-up appointments on time, they can usually live a healthy life for many years without significant problems. Instead of focusing on your transplanted kidney, you should avoid worrying about losing the organ and seek psychological support if necessary.

Our physicians

Our aim is to improve the quality of life of our patients by providing the highest quality healthcare services. Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Aydınlı, together with other physicians who are experts in their fields, we perform organ transplantation processes safely and effectively using innovative surgical techniques.