Urology

Kidney Transplant: Diagnosis and Treatment of Kidney Diseases

admin May 01, 2024

Introduction

The kidneys play a major role in filtering unwanted products from the blood and excreting them via urine. If the kidneys lose this capacity, waste products can accumulate, which is potentially life-threatening. This loss of kidney/renal function is referred to as an end-stage kidney disease.

Diagnosis of Kidney Diseases

Blood Test: Estimates the levels of a waste product known as creatinine in the blood
Urine Test: Checks the levels of albumin and creatinine in the urine

Other diagnostic tests may comprise:

Ultrasound Scan, MRI Scan, and CT Scan: Examine what the kidneys look like and assess whether there are any blockages
Kidney Biopsy: It involves excising a small kidney tissue sample and microscopically examining the cells for any signs of damage

Treatment of Kidney Disease

There’s no remedy for chronic kidney disease (CKD), but treatment can aid relieve the symptoms and stop it from getting worse. Treatment will rely on the stage of CKD. The primary treatments include:

Lifestyle Changes: To remain healthy for as long as possible
Medicine: To control the associated problems, like high blood pressure and high cholesterol
Dialysis: To replicate a few of the kidney’s roles, which may be required in advanced CKD.

Kidney failure is the predominant reason for requiring a kidney transplant. A kidney transplant refers to transferring a healthy kidney from one individual into the body of an individual with little or no kidney function.

Tests Before Kidney Transplant

Blood Tests: To check:
general health,
blood group, and
tissue type.
Antibody Tests: To detect antibodies in blood that might make it difficult to receive a transplant.
Comorbidities: Healthcare professionals will need to know how healthy the heart and lungs are and whether the patient has any cancers or severe infections.

Kidney Transplant Procedure

Obtaining a kidney from a living donor will be a carefully planned operation.
If a patient is waiting for a deceased donor’s kidney, the transplant center will connect with them when a suitable kidney becomes available. Staff at the center will check that the patient has no new medical problems and will ask the patient to go to the center, where final checks will be performed.
Patients will then undergo the surgery, wherein the new kidney is inserted and connected to the blood vessels and bladder. The new kidney will be positioned in the lower abdomen (tummy). Patients’ original kidneys will generally be left in place.
It is a major surgery with a broad range of potential risks. The short-term risks comprise blood clots and infection. Longer-term problems comprise diabetes and an elevated risk of infections and are typically related to the medication patients are required to take to decrease the chance of the body rejecting the kidney.
Because of the risk of further issues, individuals who have had a kidney transplant require routine check-ups for the remaining years of their life.

Living With a Kidney Transplant

Having a physically fit lifestyle after a kidney transplant goes a long way to reduce the chances of complications. Therefore, it’s suggested that you:

Cease smoking
Consume a well-planned, nutritious diet
Shed some pounds
Take steps to lessen the chances of developing infections

Innovation in the Space of Kidney Transplant

Rather than waiting in a years-long queue, could an individual in need of a dire kidney transplant obtain it from a farm pig instead? Backed by gene-editing tools, such as CRISPR-Cas9, researchers have renewed their efforts to make this a reality.
In a spearheading medical achievement, surgeons recently performed the first pig-to-human kidney transplant. A 62-year-old man with an end-stage kidney disease obtained a new kidney from a genetically modified pig.

In case of any health problems post-kidney transplant, seek immediate medical attention.