A Patient's Guide to Kidney Transplant Surgery

This Web site was developed by the USC Kidney Transplant Program.

Topics at the site include:

• About The Kidney How the Kidneys Work
• Symptoms of Kidney Disease

• Before Surgery Why a Transplant is Necessary
• Pretransplant Evaluation
• The Transplant Team
• Preparing and Waiting for a Transplant

• During Surgery Getting the Go-Ahead
• At the Hospital
• Preparing the Patient for Surgery
• Kidney Transplant Surgery Procedure

• After Surgery Waking Up in the Intensive Care Unit
• Medical Management in the Acute Care Unit
• Clinic and Follow-Up Visits
• Lab Tests
• Additional Tests and Procedures
• Monitoring at Home
• Resuming Normal Activities
• Avoiding Infection
• Communicating with the Healthcare Team

• Medications & Complications Medication Guidelines
• Information About Specific Medications
• Postoperative Complications

• The Donation Process Factors in the Donation Process
• The Donor/Blood Type Compatibility
• The Waiting List and Other Concerns
• Organ Procurement Organization (OPO)
• United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS)

• Other Kidney Sources Transplant and Medical Sources
• Useful Web Links

• Glossary of Kidney Terms