Kidney Transplant
KIDNEY TRANSPLANT
Content Page
Introduction 2
Background: History of Kidney Transplants 4
Medical Technique 7
Social Issues Related To Kidney Transplant 12
Bibliography 13
Introduction
The kidneys are located at the rear of the abdominal cavity and are approximately 10cm long and 5.5cm thick. They are packed with roughly one million microscopic filtering units called nephrons. This huge supply of filters correlates with the main function of kidneys, which is to remove metabolic waste from the blood and to adjust the balance of water, salt and other substances in the internal environment of the human body (McMillan, 2012). The kidneys perform vital functions to maintain the overall health of an individual.
A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure performed to replace a diseased kidney with a healthy kidney from another person. This procedure is performed under general anaesthesia. The abdomen is opened and the new kidney is surgically placed inside the lower abdomen. The artery and vein of the new kidney are then connected to the existing renal artery and vein after removal of the diseased kidney. The new kidneys then begin to form urine. This procedure is commonly undergone by patients with end stage kidney diseases. When the nephrons in the kidney become damaged due to diseases, the filtering ability of the kidney can be lost. This leads to excessive and life threatening amounts of waste products and chemicals in the body. When the kidneys have been rendered nearly or totally non-functional, the individual is diagnosed with end stage kidney disease.
The two most common causes of end stage kidney disease are diabetes and hypertension (National Kidney Foundation, n.d.). Patients with diabetes constantly have high blood sugar. This high levels of glucose in the blood can damage the filters in the kidneys, leading to long-term kidney damage and finally kidney failure. This is referred to as diabetic
Content Page
Introduction 2
Background: History of Kidney Transplants 4
Medical Technique 7
Social Issues Related To Kidney Transplant 12
Bibliography 13
Introduction
The kidneys are located at the rear of the abdominal cavity and are approximately 10cm long and 5.5cm thick. They are packed with roughly one million microscopic filtering units called nephrons. This huge supply of filters correlates with the main function of kidneys, which is to remove metabolic waste from the blood and to adjust the balance of water, salt and other substances in the internal environment of the human body (McMillan, 2012). The kidneys perform vital functions to maintain the overall health of an individual.
A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure performed to replace a diseased kidney with a healthy kidney from another person. This procedure is performed under general anaesthesia. The abdomen is opened and the new kidney is surgically placed inside the lower abdomen. The artery and vein of the new kidney are then connected to the existing renal artery and vein after removal of the diseased kidney. The new kidneys then begin to form urine. This procedure is commonly undergone by patients with end stage kidney diseases. When the nephrons in the kidney become damaged due to diseases, the filtering ability of the kidney can be lost. This leads to excessive and life threatening amounts of waste products and chemicals in the body. When the kidneys have been rendered nearly or totally non-functional, the individual is diagnosed with end stage kidney disease.
The two most common causes of end stage kidney disease are diabetes and hypertension (National Kidney Foundation, n.d.). Patients with diabetes constantly have high blood sugar. This high levels of glucose in the blood can damage the filters in the kidneys, leading to long-term kidney damage and finally kidney failure. This is referred to as diabetic
References: Stein, A., Higgins, R & Wild, J. (2008). Kidney Transplants Explained. London, GBR: Class Publishing University of Minnesota’s Centre for Bioethics. (2004). Ethics of Organ Transplantation. Retrieved from