A kidney transplant is a life-saving procedure for patients with kidney failure. It involves replacing a damaged kidney with a healthy one from a donor. There are two main types of kidney transplants: Deceased-Donor Kidney Transplant and Living-Donor Kidney Transplant.

Deceased-Donor Kidney Transplant

In this type, a kidney is taken from a person who has passed away and donated their organs. The kidney is carefully matched to the recipient to ensure compatibility. Due to high demand, patients may have to wait on a transplant list.

Living-Donor Kidney Transplant

A Living Donor Kidney Transplant involves taking a healthy kidney from a living donor, often a family member or friend, and placing it into a patient with kidney failure. Since people can live well with one kidney, the donor's health is generally not harmed. This transplant type is preferred due to higher success rates, faster recovery, and better kidney function compared to deceased donor transplants.

Types of Living-Donor Kidney Transplant

Living kidney donors can be categorized based on blood type compatibility and donation arrangements: -

ABO-Incompatible Donors - Donors with a different blood type from the recipient can have successful transplants using specialized treatments to lower antibody levels and reduce rejection risk..
Kidney Transplantation in HIV Patients - Donors with a different blood type from the recipient can have successful transplants using specialized treatments to lower antibody levels and reduce rejection risk.
Swap (Paired Exchange) Donors - When incompatible donor-recipient pairs exchange kidneys with another duo, both recipients get compatible organs.