Living Kidney Donor Infographic

Most of our patients are referred by their nephrologists as they approach the need for transplant or dialysis. If this is your situation, once we receive the referral, our office will contact you to make an appointment and complete a medical intake questionnaire with you. You may call us at 800-272-3666 to request more information.

During your initial appointment, a transplant surgeon, nurse coordinator, social worker, registered dietitian, financial liaisons and a pharmacist will meet with you to evaluate you as a candidate for transplant. If you are appropriate for transplant, we will schedule you to begin the medical testing process. 

Options for a living donor versus a deceased donor transplant will be discussed at the time of your initial consultation.

We encourage all of our patients to look for potential donors from among family, friends and acquaintances. Some patients have received kidneys from neighbors, church members or people in the community who heard of their need for a kidney. The Living Donor Kidney Exchange, available as part of the End-Stage Kidney Disease and Kidney Transplant Program, provides those who need a kidney transplant with significantly improved access to potential compatible donors.

When tests are complete, your candidacy will be discussed at a meeting of the transplant review committee. This committee is composed of transplant surgeons, nephrologists, coordinators and other transplant professionals. After approval by the committee and authorization from an insurance carrier, a patient can be placed on the transplant wait list.

The allocation or distribution of deceased donor kidneys is a complex system. There are many factors that are considered when a kidney becomes available. These include blood type, length of time on the list, medical urgency and other factors. For more information on waiting times for transplantation, visit the United Network for Organ Sharing.

Your responsibilities include keeping the transplant office informed of changes in your address, phone numbers, dialysis centers and your medical condition. You will also need to remain “transplant ready” through periodic testing.

The risks and possible complications of transplant are similar to those associated with any surgical procedure. During education sessions and consultation, these issues are discussed.

When a patient is called in, he or she will be asked to report to the hospital as soon as possible. The patient can expect to be prepared for surgery by having a history and physical, lab work, chest X-ray and EKG. The final crossmatch is done at this time to determine if the transplant will proceed. The crossmatch results take a few hours to obtain before a final decision is made to go forward.

Antirejection medications are designed to suppress, or disable, a person’s immune system so that the transplanted organ will not be rejected. This can make patients vulnerable to infection. An upset stomach is also a common side effect. Your care team will work with you to closely monitor dosages and side effects, making all adjustments possible to help you feel as healthy as possible.

• Visit the National Kidney Foundation to learn more about kidney disease, transplantation, education, advocacy, resources and much more.
• The United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) provides information about the transplantation and donation process, living donation and various national, regional, state and center-specific data reports. The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients website also provides national and local transplant center data.
• UNOS sponsors Transplant Living, a patient education website about life before and after transplant.
• Data specifically about kidney transplant at Froedtert Hospital is available through the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients website.
• You can also learn more by visiting the websites of our Transplant Center partners, Children’s Wisconsin, Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin and the Medical College of Wisconsin.