Kidney Transplant
Our dedicated renal medicine (nephrology) team offers expert-led care at the Royal Free London Private Patients Unit. We provide world-class care to meet your unique renal needs.
We understand that a kidney transplant can be a life-changing procedure and will keep you fully informed at every step.
What is a kidney transplant?
A kidney transplant is a renal surgery where the surgeon implants a healthy kidney from a living or deceased donor. Living donors can often be your blood relatives, but they can also be friends or partners. Donors do not need to be in the same blood group as you. Living donors can live a normal life with only one kidney.
Your kidneys are two organs on each side of your body just below your rib cage. They filter and remove waste from your blood by producing urine.
If your kidneys stop working correctly (what we term kidney disease), waste and fluid can build up in your body, raising your blood pressure. In some cases, this may lead to kidney failure.
Common causes of kidney disease include:
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular disease
- High blood pressure
- Other medical conditions that can affect your kidneys like lupus
- Sudden kidney damage due to infections or a problem with blood flow to the kidney
- Inherited kidney diseases
If your kidney disease becomes advanced, your kidneys cannot effectively remove waste products from your blood. This build-up of waste needs to be removed to protect your health. In some cases, a build-up of waste caused by kidney disease can be life-threatening.
Dialysis (a treatment to remove waste from your blood) can replace some of the kidney’s functions, but as you’ll need treatment multiple times a week, it can affect your quality of life.
A kidney transplant is an effective alternative to dialysis for people with advanced kidney disease. With a kidney transplant, you can stop having dialysis and live a relatively normal life once more. Only one kidney needs transplanting, even if both of your kidneys are affected.
Benefits of a kidney transplant
A kidney transplant is a significant surgery, but it has many possible benefits, such as:
- Helping you live longer
- Improving your quality of life
- Eliminating the need for life-long dialysis
- Boosting your energy levels
- Allowing you to work and travel without worrying about dialysis
- Enhanced fertility and general wellbeing
We understand that major surgery can feel overwhelming, but our team is here to ease your worries and provide all the necessary information. A private kidney transplant can be an excellent solution to your condition that offers a new way of life.
Who is a kidney transplant for?
We may recommend a kidney transplant to treat kidney failure, a condition that stops your kidneys from working correctly and filtering waste from your blood. However, the benefits of having a kidney transplant need to outweigh the possible risks associated with major surgery. We assess this on an individual case basis.
A kidney transplant may be considered for you if:
- You have long-term kidney disease or kidney failure
- You’re fit and well enough to undergo surgery
- There’s a high chance of success for the surgery
- You’re able to take the daily medication required after a kidney transplant
Kidney transplant surgery at Royal Free London
Kidney transplant surgery is performed under general anaesthetic, so you’ll be asleep throughout the procedure. First, an incision is made in your abdomen so that the donor kidney can be inserted.
The donor kidney is attached to blood vessels in the lower part of your abdomen. Finally, the new kidney’s ureter (a muscular tube) is joined to your bladder.
Your affected kidney or kidneys won’t be removed unless they’re very large or causing problems like pain or infection.
Kidney transplant surgery can take up to four hours and you’ll need to spend some time (between a few days to a couple of weeks) in the hospital before being allowed home.
Contact us Monday to Friday, 8am - 6pm:
Booking line: +44 (0) 20 4527 2993
Risks of a kidney transplant
Kidney transplants can be life-changing, but, as with all surgeries, they have potential risks.
Some of the possible risks of a kidney transplant include:
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Rejection of the transplanted kidney
- Difficulty controlling your blood sugar if you have diabetes
- Kidney disease returning and affecting your transplanted kidney
- Side effects of the medications used to suppress your immune system
- Allergic reaction to the general anaesthetic used (this is rare)
Our expert-led team takes every precaution to minimise the risks, so you can be confident that you’re in safe hands when you choose Royal Free London.
Aftercare
After we complete your kidney transplant, we’ll take you to a recovery room where you’ll wake up. It’s typical to feel some pain and discomfort, but we’ll provide pain relief medication. We’ll also put you on immunosuppressants immediately afterwards to stop your immune system from attacking the new kidney and lower the rejection risk.
Some people’s transplanted kidneys work immediately. But for others, it can take several days, and you may need dialysis until it starts working correctly.
Generally, you’ll stay in the hospital for around one week before we discharge you. Afterwards, you’ll attend regular appointments where we’ll check your recovery and how well your body is accepting the new kidney and its function.
You should be well enough to return to work within a few months, but it’s vital to remember that everyone’s recovery differs. So, always speak with your surgeon or doctor for advice if you’re unsure.
Why choose Royal Free London for your kidney transplant?
When you choose Royal Free London, you’ll gain access to our specialist nephrology team who will provide expert care as soon as you contact us. We’re experts in performing kidney transplants, completing more than 140 procedures a year.
For living donor procedures, we use laparoscopic (minimally invasive) techniques to enhance your recovery and minimise the risk of complications. Our nephrology services offer comprehensive, tailored care from your initial consultation to your kidney transplant, recovery and beyond.
Meet our consultants
We work with leading experts who are all supported by the expertise of a multidisciplinary team. Our specialist team of doctors and surgeons includes:
Dr Rhys D R Evans
Mr Prodromos Laftsidis
Mr Ammar Al Midani
Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead
The Private Patients Unit at the Royal Free Hospital is part of the NHS and is wholly owned by the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. We offer you access to some of London’s most experienced specialists, all of whom work as NHS consultants at our facilities.
Funding your treatment
We are committed to providing care to all patients which is why we accept self-paying and private medical insurance.
Learn more about funding your treatment.
Patient information leaflets
We provide all our patients with the information they need to support their health and understand the treatments and services we offer.
Read our patient information leaflets for more information.
Investing in the NHS
The NHS is an important part of what we do at Royal Free London which is why we reinvest our profits back into it. Our investment provides life-saving equipment and supports medical research to ensure better healthcare for all.