Department of Surgery

Division of Solid Organ Transplantation

Procedures

Kidney Transplant Surgery

Kidney Diseases

Guide to Kidney Transplant • What Do the Kidneys Do? • Kidney Failure • What is a Kidney Transplant? • Is a Transplant Right For You? • The Transplant Process • Lodging & Accommodations • Resources • General Information for Patients and Families

Several diseases can injure the kidneys and stop it from working correctly. These include:

• Kidney Infection (Chronic Pyleonephritis): Kidney infection is an inflammation of the tissues of the kidneys surrounding the filters. If infections are not treated, they can cause kidney failure.
  
  
• Kidney Stones (Kidney Calculi): Kidney stones develop from deposits in the urinary tract. The stones may cause blockages in the drainage system of the kidney. If this happens, the kidneys can be damaged due to the pressure of urine backup.
  
  
• Chronic Kidney Failure (CKD): Leading causes of kidney failure, also called End Stage Kidney Disease or ESRD, are diabetes (Type 2) and high blood pressure. When kidney function is reduced, subtances begin to build up in the bloodstream.
  
  
• Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD): Refers to a genetic or inherited disease that is sometimes called "adult PKD." PKD is when cysts form in the kidneys. these cysts may contain fluid, gas or tissue. As the cysts grow, they block normal kidney function.
  
  
• Cancer: Cells in the kidneys reproduce faster than they should, creating growths called tumors; kidney cancer can be fatal.
  

These diseases, and others, can be treated in a number of ways. But if they have progressed far enough and the kidneys are damaged badly enough, and if other treatments have been unsuccessful, a kidney transplant may be the best treatment option. Your primary doctor will make the referral to the Division of Solid Organ Transplantation at the University of Rochester Medical Center.