Specialties & ConditionsKidney Transplantation ProgramPre- & Post-Operative Care for Kidney Transplants Preparing for a New Kidney
Preparing for a New Kidney
As soon as the transplant surgeon and the nephrologist accept an offer for a kidney, an organ procurement coordinator will call you. Please ensure we have all your phone numbers so we can reach you at any time. If you should move or get a new phone number, be sure to notify the transplant team as soon as possible so that we can update our records.
Preparation
Be prepared ahead of time to leave the house within one hour. It is helpful to have a bag packed. If you are coming from out of town, you should have established travel plans. The transplant financial coordinator and the organ procurement coordinators can help you make these arrangements ahead of time. Remember, do not give your child anything to eat or drink after we call you in for transplant.
Procedure
Once at the hospital, you will report to the Admitting Department or the Emergency Department to be registered.
Upon arrival on the transplant unit, the team will be waiting for you to begin the preparation for surgery. A lot of things need to happen before surgery in a short time, including chest x-ray, blood tests, vital signs, height, weight and IV insertion.
As soon as your child is ready for the operating room, we will take you to the second floor to surgery. Your child will go into the operating room and the transplant coordinator on call will take you to the surgery waiting room, which is also on the second floor.
It is good to take breaks with your family to eat and rest, but be sure to tell the transplant coordinator where you will be in case of an update, which will occur periodically throughout the procedure.
After surgery, you will see your child pass the surgery waiting room in their bed on the way to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Your nurse will notify you when you may see your child.