Kidney Transplants
A successful kidney transplant requires precise organ matching, modification of a patient's immune response and careful monitoring. The wait for a deceased donor can be as long as 10 years and live donors are not always available for everyone.
The kidney transplant team at Cedars-Sinai is dedicated to finding new ways to transplant kidneys. The expertise and ongoing commitment to research from Stanley C. Jordan, MD, and his team allow our patients to have options for a successful transplant they would not have at other transplant centers. Our kidney transplant team includes surgeons, transplant specialists, nurse coordinators and support staff. These providers work together to create the best care plan for each patient.
Who Is a Candidate for Kidney Transplant?
Not every patient with kidney disease will qualify for a kidney transplant. But you may be a candidate if you:
- Have chronic kidney disease that is not responding to other treatments
- Are on dialysis (or will need to be on dialysis in the near future)
- Are otherwise healthy enough to undergo transplant surgery
- Have a strong support network to help you before, during and after surgery
Types of Kidney Transplants We Perform
Our team performs over 250 kidney transplants every year on both adults and children. We have techniques for overcoming immunity and incompatibility issues that would normally keep patients on the waiting list for years.
Our kidney transplant team specializes in finding transplant solutions for difficult cases. That includes working with altruistic donors that are willing to donate a kidney to a stranger in need. These transplant solutions include:
About 35% of our transplants use living donors. This is where a living friend, relative or altruistic donor will donate their kidney.
Often, the friend or relative who wants to donate a kidney is not a good match for the recipient. In our paired exchange program, we give your loved one's kidney to a better-matched recipient. You receive a kidney better matched to you.
About a third of patients who need kidney transplants fall into the highly sensitized (also called HLA-sensitized) group. The immune systems of these patients have highly sensitized antibodies that would attack even a well-matched new kidney. But thanks to innovative treatments pioneered by our team, we are able to successfully perform transplants on these patients.
Transplanting kidneys from donors with a different blood type than the recipient used to be impossible. Our approach to modifying a patient's immune system prior to surgery allows us to successfully transplant across blood types. That means more options for donated organs and shorter wait times for our patients.
Hepatitis C+ Donor to Hepatitis C- Recipient
Transplant solutions have become increasingly available as donors who have hepatitis C can have their kidneys successfully transplanted to recipients without hepatitis C.
HIV+ Donor to HIV+ Recipient
Emerging treatment protocols have allowed our team to safely perform kidney transplants in cases where the donor and recipient are both positive for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).
Have Questions or Need Help?
To make an appointment or refer a patient, call us or send a message to the Kidney and Pancreas Transplant care team. You can also have us call you back at your convenience.