Can a transplanted kidney last forever?

Can a transplanted kidney last forever? Why do kidney transplants only last 10 years? How long does a live kidney transplant last?

In the literature, there are transplantation kidneys that have worked for more than 30 years, as well as patients who lost their kidneys in the first year after transplantation. Success rates reported after live donor kidney transplantation are in the range of 93-98 percent. Due to the high success rates, ‘kidney transplant’ has become the gold standard treatment. However, it should not be forgotten that ultimately kidney transplant is a treatment method. Therefore, it is not a treatment that promises 100 percent success. There are many factors that determine success. Many factors affect the patient’s general health, social habits (smoking, alcohol), the experience of the team to perform the treatment, taking the patient’s medication after the treatment according to the doctor’s recommendations, and compliance with the outpatient clinic controls.

Renal rejection can occur when a patient who has had a long period after kidney transplantation without any problems discontinues their medication without consulting their doctor. Therefore, a person who is a candidate for kidney transplant will be told in detail that he will use drugs after transplantation and will come to regular polyclinic controls.

MORE information about Kidney Transplant

Kidney Transplant Expected Life

Today, organ transplants are much better than the dialysis treatment which is the alternative of life expectancy. The quality of life of patients with kidney transplantation is like a normal healthy person. Since the machine to which it is attached while the patient is on dialysis cannot perform all the tasks of living kidney tissue, patients in dialysis live with many restrictions, especially not being able to drink water freely, not eating everything. Over time, they encounter additional problems such as anemia, cardiovascular diseases, and various infections. For these reasons and because they spend most of their time in dialysis centers, they have no chance to live like a healthy person.

Briefly, those with kidney transplantation can take part in working life and social life as they gain both mental and physical health and the time they spend on dialysis.

Can a kidney transplant last 30 years? Can a transplanted kidney last forever? What is the average life expectancy after a kidney transplant? How long can kidney transplant last? Answer: There is no certain answer. A transplanted kidney’s lifespan is 15 to 20 years on average but there are cases up to 30 years. If the kidney stops working, the patient is back on the waiting list for a new one.