Who may need a kidney transplant?

If your kidneys have stopped working completely, a kidney transplant may be an option. This condition is called end-stage kidney disease (ESRD) or end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). If you reach this point, your doctor will likely recommend dialysis.

In addition to putting you on dialysis, your doctor will tell you if he thinks you are a good candidate for a kidney transplant.

To be a good candidate for a transplant, you must be healthy enough to undergo major surgery and tolerate a strict, life-long medication regimen after surgery. You should also be willing and able to follow all your doctor’s instructions and take your medications regularly.

If you have a serious underlying medical condition, a kidney transplant may be dangerous or unlikely to be successful. These serious conditions include:

cancer or recent history of cancer
serious infections such as tuberculosis, bone infections or hepatitis
severe cardiovascular disease
liver disease

Your doctor may also advise you not to have a transplant if:

To smoke
drinking too much alcohol
using illegal drugs