Kidney transplant: best clinics abroad

Kidney (renal) transplantation is a type of surgery aimed to replace a diseased kidney that is unable to work properly with a well-functioning donor's kidney. It is the most common type of transplantation surgery on the planet. Only one healthy kidney is needed to replace two impaired kidneys. This makes possible renal transplantation from a living donor.

An increasing number of patients prefer to get kidney transplants abroad. This may be due to the lack in the patient's country of residence:

• legal basis for transplantation;
• technical equipment for the operation;
• qualified medical staff.

Another important reason includes the high cost of transplantation in the home country.

If you are interested in renal transplantation abroad, please, leave a request and our medical coordinator will communicate with you ASAP.

Who needs kidney transplantation

There are two main indications for kidney transplantation:

• end-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) which is also known as renal failure;
• renal tumors, including different types of cancer.

The origin of kidney failure varies with age. Primary causes of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in children include:

• congenital anomalies (more than 30%);
• focal segmental glomerulosclerosis a disease in which scars develops on the glomeruli, the small parts of the kidneys that filter excess fluid and waste from the blood;
• glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the glomeruli);
• others.

In adults, the need for a kidney transplant is frequently due:

• diabetes mellitus;
• hypertension (high blood pressure);
• glomerulonephritis;
• cystic kidney, a group of diseases that cause cysts (fluid-filled sacs) to form in or around the kidneys;
• other or unknown cause.

Contraindications for kidney transplantation

A number of сonditions may prevent you from being eligible for renal transplantation. All contraindications can be divided into two major groups.

Сontraindications for surgery

This group of contraindication includes the following:

• chronic or recurring infections that are difficult to treat;
• serious diseases of the heart or/and peripheral vessels;
• hepatic failure (patients may get simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation);
• severe diseases that are unlikely to improve after kidney transplantation;
• dementia or poorly controlled mental illness;
• lack of compliance to perform rehabilitation adequately after transplantation.

Сontraindications for immunosuppression

Immunosuppressive therapy is mandatory after any transplant. It prevents your new kidney from damage resulting from your immune system activation. In some conditions, immunosuppressive therapy can be life-threatening itself.

1. Acute infections.
2. Alcohol or drug abuse.
3. HIV infection, unless the disease is controlled. It means the number of CD4 200/µL for 6 months and longer; undetectable HIV-I RNA, a person is stable and receives antiretroviral therapy for at least 3 months, a patient has no major infectious or cancer complications.
4. Malignant tumors. For most cancers, you need to wait at least 5 years after successful treatment. If you get transplantation earlier risk of cancer recurrence increases:

• within 2 years after cancer treatment the risk of recurrence is about 50%;
• between 2 and 5 years about 35%;
• after 5 years only about 10%.

The negative effects of immunosuppressive drugs may also worsen your atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, and lipid disorders. This may increase the risk of cardiac complications after transplantation.

Where can I get a renal transplant abroad

Numerous medical centers in Turkey, Germany, Israel, South Korea, and Austria specialize in kidney transplantation for non-residents patients. The full list of countries is presented in the panel on the right. By clicking on the links you can read about the benefits, make an appointment and read reviews about each of the clinics.

To get more information about renal transplantation in foreign clinics, please contact our medical coordinator. A free consultation will help you not only check out the price of a kidney transplant abroad but also choose the best clinic for this surgery.

Advantages of renal transplantation abroad

Three major advantages of renal transplantation in treatment for end-stage renal disease compared with dialysis include: 

• optimal long-term cost; 
• better quality of life; 
• better survival.

In addition, a number of benefits are associated with treatment abroad. Below are some of them.

Price

The cost of the same diagnostic and treatment procedures, including renal transplantation, differs depending on the country. For example, kidney transplantation in Turkey will cost you 40-60% cheaper than in Israel or Germany. Many patients choose this country for the treatment precisely because of the optimal price-quality ratio.

Focus on non-resident patients

Medical centers we cooperate with actively support work with patients from other countries. There are entire departments of medical tourism, whose employees create comfortable conditions for patients and their families.

Highly skilled medical professionals 

Competence of medical staff in foreign clinics resulted from:

• continuous professional development;
• exchange programs in medical centers abroad;
• participation in research and clinical trials;
• a wealth of practical experience in transplantology.

For example, the success rate of kidney transplantation in Medical Park Hospitals Group (Turkey) has already been 98% in 2017.

What to expect

Before

Before the transplantation, you and your potential donor will have to undergo a series of examinations and tests. This is necessary in order to assess whether:

1. Your health is good enough to have renal transplantation;
2. Donor's kidney will be a good match for you.

The evaluation of your health may take a few days and includes:

• physical examination;
• blood count;
• biochemical blood assay;
• tests for HIV infection, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, and other viral infections;
• echocardiography for heart function evaluation;
• X-ray, MRI, or CT scans;
• psychological assessment;
• additional tests that the doctor may prescribe after the initial evaluation.

Also, your medical team will make a few tests to make sure that the donor`s kidney is suitable for you. These includes:

• ABO blood group;
• Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) testing;
• crossmatch. 

The last test determines whether your immune system will produce special proteins (antibodies) which work against another type of proteins (antigens) in the donor's blood.

During surgery

The operation takes about four hours. It may be a surprise, but in most cases, your own kidneys aren’t removed during transplantation. The surgeon just put the new kidney into your body through an incision in the lower part of your tummy. For proper work, it must be connected with your urine bladder and your bloodstream. Usually, blood vessels of the kidney graft are attached to the external iliac artery and vein.

Nevertheless, in some cases, the malfunctioning kidney is removed. This happens when your own kidneys become a reason for other diseases such as: 

• hypertension;
• nephrolithiasis (renal stones);
• viral or bacterial invasion.

After 

After successful renal transplantation, your new kidney will filter excess fluid and waste from the blood. To prevent rejecting of your donor's kidney, you'll need to take suppressive drugs for the rest of your life. 

What could go wrong

Kidney transplantation is life-saving for most patients. During the first year, the graft properly works in 93% to 98% of patients, and the 5-year success rate of the procedure varies from 83% to 92%. However, there are certain risks associated with both the operation itself and concomitant immunosuppressive treatment.

Possible complications of the procedure include:

• infection;
• blood clots;
• bleeding;
• failure or rejection of the donated kidney;
• heart attack;
• stroke;
• death.

Posttransplant complications of immunosuppressive therapy include the following:

• diabetes;
• hypertension;
• hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol);
• weakening of the bones so they could easily break (osteoporosis);
• excessive hair growth.

How can I get and what is the price of kidney transplant in clinics abroad

The cost of pre-operative evaluation and renal transplantation abroad depends on many factors, including:

• underlying disease;
• your age;
• comorbidities;
• complications.

To estimate the preliminary cost, leave a request. Our coordinating doctor will contact you as soon as possible. Based on your medical history and medical records, he will be able to guide you through a preliminary diagnosis and treatment plan and help with all organizational issues related to the trip.