A kidney transplant is the transfer of a healthy kidney from one person (the donor) into the body of a person who has little or no kidney function (the recipient).

The main role of the kidneys is to filter waste products from the blood and convert them to urine. If the kidneys lose this ability, waste products can build up, which is potentially dangerous and can be life threatening.

This loss of kidney function, known as end stage chronic kidney disease or kidney failure, is the most common reason for needing a kidney transplant.

It is possible to partially replicate the functions of the kidney using a blood filtering procedure known as dialysis, but this can be both inconvenient and time-consuming so a kidney transplant is the treatment of choice for kidney failure whenever possible.

Who can have a kidney transplant?

Most people who need a kidney transplant are able to have one, regardless of their age, as long as:

• they are well enough to withstand the effects of surgery
• the transplant has a relatively good chance of success
• the person is willing to comply with the recommended treatments required after the transplant – such as taking immunosuppressant medication and attending regular follow-up appointments

Reasons why it may not be safe or effective to perform a transplant include having an ongoing infection (this will need to be treated first), heart disease, liver failure, cancer that has spread to several places in your body (metastatic cancer), and AIDS (the final and most serious stage of an HIV infection).

However, people who have HIV that is being effectively controlled with medication can often have a kidney transplant.