Kidney Transplantation – Complications

Rejection of the transplanted kidney:

The human body has the remarkable power of differentiating the self from the non-self. The immune system effectively fights against foreign substances such as bacteria or virus. This mechanism also holds good for the transplanted kidney. If the immune system identifies the kidney as non-self, it starts reacting against it aggressively and destroys it. This is called rejection. It can happen immediately after the surgery or a few days (acute rejection), months or even several years (chronic rejection) after the surgery. This can be prevented by the use of medications (immunosuppressants) to suppress the immune system, which has to be taken for the entire lifetime.

Increased chances of infection:

The immune system of a patient who is receiving immunosuppressants is compromised, paving way for an increased susceptibility to infections. The incidence of these infections can be prevented if appropriate care is taken to prevent infections such as wearing masks, avoiding exposure to contaminated places and so on.

Kidney Transplantation - References

Smith’s General Urology (15th Edition)
Emil A. Tanagho, MD and Jack W. McAninch, MD
The McGraw- Hill Companies
Kidney transplant - (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003005.htm)

Published on Sep 08, 2014
Last Updated on Jul 28, 2021

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