Kidney transplantation

Kidney transplantation is a surgical operation to replace one non-functioning kidney with a healthy donor kidney. An organ transplantation is needed when the kidneys fail and the dialysis procedure is no longer able to filter the blood. Without a working kidney, a person cannot survive due to the poisoning of the body with waste products.

The main problem in organ transplantation is finding the right donor. It must be compatible with the recipient. Legislation also affects the ability to perform a kidney transplant. For example, in most EU and CIS countries, organ transplantation is only possible from a close relative. In Turkey, cross transplantation is practiced - kidney transplantation from different donors to several recipients at the same time.

When is a kidney transplantation needed

A kidney transplantation may be required for patients of any age. The need for a transplant may arise due to the occurrence of certain diseases. The most common reasons for a kidney transplantation are:

• Diabetes mellitus (with a severe form of the disease, kidney pathology occurs);
• Urolithiasis (metabolic disorder which leads to formations in the kidneys and urinary tract of stones);
• Organ neoplasms (cancerous tumors can metastasize to the kidneys);
• Renal artery stenosis (decreased blood flow in one or both renal arteries and their branches);
• Hydronephrosis (enlargement of the pelvic-ureteric segment due to the constant accumulation of fluid);
• Polycystic disease (congenital disease with multiple cysts in the kidneys);
• Pyelonephritis (chronic inflammatory process in the kidneys due to infection).

The need for a kidney transplantation operation appears when the organ ceases to perform its filtering function. In addition to end-stage renal failure, indications for transplantation are renal injuries, kidney and adrenal cancer, tumors in the retroperitoneal region.

Who can get a kidney transplant

Patients of all ages – from children to the elderly – can undergo a kidney transplant. This is possible solely for medical reasons.

To undergo a kidney transplant, a patient needs to have such health indicators that he could undergo the operation. According to the National Kidney Foundation’s recommendations, every person who is eligible for a kidney transplantation should undergo a medical and psychological examination. This assessment helps identify any problems that can be corrected prior to surgery.

Older people or patients with various pathologies can also successfully undergo a kidney transplantation. A careful health assessment is necessary to avoid the risk of rejection. The patient may be given recommendations that will increase the chances of a successful transplantation. For example, doctors will recommend losing weight or quitting smoking altogether.

Kidney donors for transplantation

The main criteria for the selection of a transplantation are the correspondence of blood groups, histological HLA compatibility, approximate correspondence of the weight, age and sex of the donor and recipient. The donor must not be infected with vector-borne infections such as syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B and C.

What are the options for kidney transplantation:

• From relatives. Parents, brothers, sisters and other blood relatives can be considered as donors. This type of transplantation is the most common in the world.
• Kidney transplantation from an unrelated donor. Transplantation is possible between spouses. In other cases, the patient needs to select a donor from among volunteers or use a cross-kidney transplantation program.
• From cadaveric donors. In such cases, it is almost impossible to obtain an organ for a foreign patient, since the waiting list for a kidney transplant is very long. In some countries, this type of donation is prohibited by law.

How to find a donor if there is no compatibility with relatives

Foreign medical centers are connected to special donor bases. Therefore, patients are more likely to receive a donor kidney on time if they go to a foreign clinic. National and international programs for living kidney donors operate in Turkey, Israel, Spain and some other countries with advanced medicine.

Cross kidney transplant

In cases where it is impossible to carry out a kidney transplantation from a family member due to incompatibility, a suitable pair of donor and recipient is selected for cross-transplantation. Thus, new couples are involved in the transplant – a candidate for implantation from one pair and a donor from another, between which there is compatibility.

A program with a large number of participants allows complex cross implantations between 5-7 pairs, and sometimes more. Representatives of different ethnic groups can take part in such a program. Such a large-scale cross-kidney transplantation operation can be organized in leading clinics abroad.

How do people donate a kidney

If foreign citizens come with their donor to the clinic for transplantation, they will have to go through several instances. The key ones are the Ethics Committee and the Court. The final decision on whether this person can be a donor is made during the court session. A donor can only be an altruist. If during a conversation with a psychologist and forensic expert there is a suspicion of a material interest, the patient will not receive permission for a kidney transplant.

The removal of one organ has almost no effect on the donor’s life after a kidney transplant. The risks and complications after kidney transplantation for the donor are minimal. The only real danger is that the remaining kidney will stop functioning for whatever reason.

MedTour does not accept organs from donors for transplantation. The sale of organs is prohibited by law, and MedTour does not facilitate kidney trafficking.

How is a kidney transplantation performed

In foreign clinics, robotic installations and laparoscopes are used for kidney transplantation. Thanks to minimally invasive surgical techniques, the doctor makes a small incision up to 2 cm in the groin area and prepares the patient’s veins and arteries. The doctor then places the graft in the iliac fossa. There are several approaches to choosing a side for a kidney transplant. The right side, due to the more superficial location of the iliac vein, is preferable for transplantation, therefore, in most medical centers, it is the right side that is used.

The doctor places the donor kidney in the iliac region of the small pelvis, after which the vessels are sutured. This ensures the blood supply to the graft. The bladder is then connected to the ureter. All incisions are sutured and the kidney transplantation operation is completed. Minimally invasive surgical techniques can shorten the rehabilitation period and the patient is discharged from the hospital faster.

How long do patients stay in the hospital after a kidney transplant?

After the operation, the patient who received a kidney transplantation is in intensive care under the supervision of doctors. He is injected intravenously with nutrient solutions to support the body.

After a few days, the patient can walk. If the operation was performed by experienced doctors who used modern surgical methods, then after a maximum of 2 weeks the patient is discharged. He will need to go back to the clinic to have the stitches removed.

Thanks to the minimally invasive operation, the scar after kidney transplantation will be practically invisible. Minor imperfections on the skin can be easily removed by laser resurfacing in the beauty parlor.

How to avoid rejection of a donor kidney?

Patients who have undergone a kidney transplantation must strictly follow the recommendations of the doctors. The main requirements after surgery include:

• The need to take drugs after a kidney transplantation is a special medication that is prescribed to recipients;
• Observe the schedule of tests and examination at the clinic;
• Sticking to a diet – special nutrition after kidney transplant;
• Independently monitor vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, body temperature, weight gain).

Where is kidney transplantation performed

A kidney transplantation can only take place in a specialized transplant department. The medical center must have all the necessary equipment to carry out such an operation. Transplant specialists must have sufficient surgical experience to ensure the patient has a successful organ transplant and donor safety.

Which kidney transplantation clinics does the patient recommend?

Patients from the CIS who, with the support of MedTour, have already undergone surgery and left feedback after kidney transplantation, noted several foreign clinics. These are hospitals that have a positive track record of handling kidney transplantation issues from unrelated donors. Patient-recommended clinics are also known for the best organ survival rates in recipients.

University hospital LIV Istinye

All organ transplantation options are available at the hospital:

• From a relative and unrelated donor;
• In the adult and children’s age groups;
• Cross-transplantation (from multiple donors to multiple recipients);
• Transplantation of several organ segments to one patient.

Liv Istinye hospital is the best transplantation medical institution in turkey. The doctors have extensive clinical experience in organ transplants, specializing in kidney transplants in children and adult patients. Unique surgeries are performed here, which are available in a few clinics around the world.

Liv Istinye advantages:

• According to the clinic, the success rate of organ transplants is over 91%, which is a very high rate worldwide;
• In the department of transplantation, doctors have performed over 7 000 successful kidney transplants;
• The patient can bring his donor, who will pass the ethics commission;
• Accommodation for patients and accompanying persons as in a 5-star hotel.

Medipol University Hospital

Doctors of the Medipol multidisciplinary clinic specialize in carrying out kidney transplants – more than 2 000 successful transplants with an organ survival rate of over 90%.

Clinic coordinators provide recipients with a donor search for 1 month. Patients undergo subsequent rehabilitation in the comfortable conditions of a hospital.

Hospital network «Asklepios» in Germany

The multidisciplinary center, according to the Medical Travel Quality Alliance, is the №1 clinic for foreign patients.

In the department of transplantation of Asklepios, a kidney transplantation from a related donor is performed.

Asklepios Barmbek employs internationally recognized doctors who are regularly ranked among the best specialists around the world.

Sourasky medical center in Israel

The transplant department at the Sourasky clinic is the largest in Israel. A kidney transplantation is performed in a low-traumatic way using a laparoscope.

Newsweek magazine ranked the hospital in the top 10 most popular hospitals for medical tourism in the world. In 2021, Sourasky Medical Center received the World’s Best Smart Hospitals award. This means that the hospital meets the best indicators in the treatment of patients and has the most modern equipment.

Teknon medical center in Spain

Teknon center is renowned in the field of transplantation thanks to Dr. Antonio Alcarez. He pioneered kidney transplantation for children (weighing up to 10 kg) at the Spanish Hospital Sant Joan de Deu. Now the doctor practices at Teknon Hospital and performs operations of any complexity.

In Spain, in 2009, the world's first laparoscopic kidney transplantation was performed. Also, doctors in Spanish clinics are leading specialists in organ transplantation using the Da Vinci robot.

Cost of kidney transplantation abroad

The cost of a kidney transplantation will depend on a number of factors:

• The cost of medical care in a particular clinic;
• Economic level and pricing in the country where the patient is sent for kidney transplantation;
• Age and individual health characteristics of the recipient.

According to different clinics, the cost of an operation in the countries of the former CIS may be as follows:

• The cost of a kidney transplantation in Russia is from $46 000;
• Kidney transplantation in Belarus – from $36 000;
• The cost of a kidney transplantation in Ukraine – from $30 000;
• Kidney transplantation in Kazakhstan – such a possibility is questionable.

In the CIS, kidney transplantation is carried out almost everywhere only from related donors. A few clinics can carry out a transplantation from an unrelated or deceased donor. This is due to restrictions at the legislative level and the limited clinical experience of doctors.

Approximate cost of operations abroad:

• Kidney transplantation in Israel – from $80 000;
• Kidney transplantation in Spain – from $60 000;
• Kidney transplantation in South Korea – about $40 000;
• Kidney transplantationv in Turkey – from $14 000;
• The cost of a kidney transplantation in India starts from $10 000.

In clinics in Turkey and Israel, the patient can undergo any options for kidney transplantation from donors up to the 4th degree of relationship or unrelated compatible donors. This advantage gives the chance for a quick transplant search.

Leading medical centers abroad provide more guarantees for the engraftment of the organ and provide the most effective treatment after surgery. Donors and recipients receive a high-level service with safety guarantees for foreign patients.

Frequently asked questions about kidney transplantation

Where do doctors get a kidney for transplant?

A blood relative of 1-4 degrees of kinship, spouse or non-relative can become a kidney donor. The main thing in the matter of transplantation is the compatibility of the donor and the recipient.

Foreign clinics have access to national and international databases of donor organs. Leading transplant departments abroad provide their patients with donor kidneys in compliance with all ethical and legal standards.

How long do people live after a kidney transplant?

With a successful engraftment of the organ, patients with a transplanted kidney live 15-20 years. Further surgery may be required.

How to get on the waiting list for a kidney transplant?

The donor is registered in a special registry in his country and informs his relatives about the decision. This is how donor bases are formed around the world.

The recipient needs to get on the waiting list for a referral from their primary care physician. This is the only way to get in line for donor organs.

MedTour coordinators will help you choose the country and clinic where you can now undergo a kidney transplantation operation.

How much does a kidney transplantation cost?

The price for kidney transplantation in the world’s best clinics is about $46 000. The final cost is influenced by the hospital’s pricing policy and the type of operation itself.

For example, a kidney transplantation in Ukraine may cost less than in Israel, but the key point is access to a donor base if there are no suitable candidates for organ transplantation among the recipient’s relatives. The queue for a kidney transplantation in Ukraine, as well as in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia and Moldova, is too long. Therefore, it is more advisable to contact such a clinic abroad, where it’s more probable to carry out kidney transplantation as soon as possible.

To learn more about kidney transplantation in foreign clinics, leave a request on the MedTour website. The coordinating doctor will help you choose the best transplantologist, clinic and specify the price for the operation.

Published: 29.10.2021

Updated: 31.10.2021

Medical author, Medical editor:

Olena Kursabaieva

Medical author:

Ilona Baidiuk

Information on this webpage verified by the medical expert

Medical Doctor, oncologist, PHD student

Kateryna Maliarchuk