Kidney transplant
When a suitable donor kidney is found, the transplant centre will contact you. Staff at the centre will check you don't have any new medical problems and then ask you to go to the centre.
When you hear from the transplant centre:
When you arrive at the transplant centre, you'll be quickly assessed. Some of the tests you had at your initial assessment may be repeated to ensure no new medical conditions have developed. Tests will also be done to ensure the donor kidney is suitable for you.
The transplant procedure must be carried out as quickly as possible for the transplant to have the best chance of success. After the medical team has confirmed the kidney is in good condition and is suitable, you'll be given the general anaesthetic and taken to the operating theatre.
The kidney transplant procedure involves three main stages:
A small plastic tube called a stent may be inserted into the ureter to help ensure a good flow of urine initially. This will usually be removed about 6 to 12 weeks later during a minor procedure called a cystoscopy.
When the kidney is properly in place, the incision in your abdomen will be closed with surgical staples, stitches or surgical glue.
Although the procedure may sound relatively straightforward, it's very demanding and complex surgery that usually takes around three hours to complete.
Once you've recovered from the effects of the anaesthetic, it's likely you will feel some pain at the site of the incision. Painkillers will be provided, if necessary.
After the operation, you'll immediately begin treatment with medication designed to prevent your immune system from rejecting your new kidney. See living with a kidney transplant for more information on this.
Most transplanted kidneys will start working immediately, particularly if they come from a living donor, although sometimes they may take a few days or weeks to work properly. If this is the case, you'll need to have dialysis during this time.
Most people can leave hospital in about a week, but you'll need to attend frequent appointments at the transplant centre, so your kidney function can be assessed and tests can be carried out to check how well your medications are working.
For the first few weeks after surgery, you may need to have two to three appointments a week. However, over time, your appointments will become less frequent. After a year, as long as you do not have any serious problems, you should only have to attend the centre once every few months.
After kidney surgery, you should be able to return to work and normal activities within a few months, provided you make good progress.
A kidney transplant is the transfer of a healthy kidney from one person into the body of a person who has little or no kidney function. The main role of the kidneys is to filter waste products from the blood and convert them to urine.
Ideally, a kidney transplant should be performed when tests show that the extent of damage to your kidneys is so great that you'll need dialysis within the next six months. Most people with kidney failure need dialysis while they wait for a donated kidney to become available.
When a suitable donor kidney is found, the transplant centre will contact you. Staff at the centre will check you don't have any new medical problems and  then ask you to go to the centre. The kidney transplant procedure involves three main stages
Lifestyle advice is usually recommended to help you stay healthy after a kidney transplant. You should quit smoking, avoid eating foods that carry a high risk of food poisoning, start doing moderate-intensity exercise every week, etc
Although rates of serious complications have fallen sharply in the last few decades, kidney transplants like any other type of surgery are not risk-free. The risks of a kidney transplant include: risks related to the procedure itself, risks related to the use of immunosuppressant medications, etc.