Kidney Transplant Evaluation

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Kidney Pre-Transplant Evaluations

To be considered as a candidate for kidney transplantation, you will first undergo a thorough transplant evaluation. The evaluation will help our transplant team learn more about you and your disease, and provide you with the opportunity to learn more about our kidney transplant team and program.

During this process, the transplant physicians will be looking for medical and/or emotional conditions which would affect the chances for a successful transplant. The series of tests may include:

Blood testing
Heart test
Urinary bladder evaluation
Kidney X-ray
Dental exam
Complete physical exam

You will meet with a transplant coordinator, transplant surgeon, transplant nephrologist, psychologist, social worker, transplant financial counselor, transplant pharmacy counselor and dietician during the transplant evaluation. These visits or appointments will help the transplant team determine if there are special concerns that you and your family may have in regard to the transplant and what type of support is needed for a successful transplant outcome.

Blood Testing
This will include samples for ABO, Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Tissue Typing and Cytotoxic antibodies.

ABO

This test shows a patient's blood type (A, B, AB, O). Their blood type needs to match or be compatible with the blood type of the donor.

HLA Tissue Typing

HLA reveals a set of antigens. Antigens are inherited from each parent. The HLA typing helps the transplant surgeon to find the best match with a potential donor.

Cytotoxic Antibodies

This test will show the level of antibodies that have formed against certain antigens. An antibody occurs from being exposed to other tissues or blood. This exposure can come from events such as blood transfusions, delivery of a baby or past transplants.

If the antibody level is high, it may be more difficult to find a compatible match with a donor, which could extend your time waiting for a transplant. The transplant coordinator will arrange for you to have a sample of blood drawn once a month and sent to the Transplant Center. This is done to monitor the levels of antibodies in the blood and to cross match your blood when a potential donor becomes available. All of these steps improve your chances of having a successful transplant and reduce the risk of possible complications that could arise after surgery.

Upon completion of the evaluation, your results will be presented at the multidisciplinary transplant team meeting. This meeting includes members of the transplant team who have met with you during the transplant evaluation. They will carefully review all the information from the evaluation and give their recommendation of the best treatment option for you. You will then be contacted by a transplant coordinator to discuss the plan of care.

Waiting for Transplantation

The amount of time a person waits for a transplant varies depending upon the blood type, antibody level, medical condition, number of other patients on the waiting list and the availability of donor kidneys. Some have waited only one day, while others have waited months.

To learn more about our waiting times for the kidney program please select the following: Statistics and Outcomes

Transplant Center