Being told that your child needs a kidney transplant may leave you feeling scared, angry, or confused. You might not fully understand why your child needs a new organ or where it will come from. Just thinking about the months ahead may fill you with dread and worry.
But, fortunately, most kidney transplants are successful. Many kids who undergo these procedures go on to live normal, healthy lives once they recover from surgery.
In the long term, kids need to take medicines to help prevent complications and have regular checkups to monitor their new kidney function.
About the Kidneys
Kidneys are bean-shaped organs located near the middle of the back, just below the ribs. Most people have one kidney on either side of their backbones. Kidneys help to clean the blood by removing things like excess fluids, salts, and waste products from the blood. Kidneys also release hormones that help regulate blood pressure, new red blood cells, and maintain calcium levels for healthy bones.
Each day, nearly 425 gallons (1,609 liters) of blood pass through a person's kidneys. Inside each kidney are about a million tiny structures called nephrons that sift the blood and remove about 2 quarts (1.9 liters) of fluids and waste products. The fluid and waste is turned into urine and stored in the bladder to be released when someone urinates (pees).
If the kidneys stop working properly, harmful waste products and excess fluid build up in the body. Blood pressure may also rise and the body might not make enough red blood cells. This is called kidney failure. If left untreated, it can quickly become life-threatening.
