Why it's done

People with end-stage kidney disease need to have waste removed from their bloodstream via a machine (dialysis) or a kidney transplant to stay alive.

For most people with advanced kidney disease or kidney failure, a kidney transplant is the preferred treatment. Compared with a lifetime on dialysis, kidney transplant offers a lower risk of death, better quality of life and fewer dietary restrictions than dialysis.

The health risks associated with kidney transplant include those associated directly with the surgery itself, rejection of the donor organ and side effects of taking immunosuppressive medications needed to prevent your body from rejecting the donated kidney. These risks include higher rates of infection and some types of cancer.