If you are suffering from end-stage renal disease and are interested in being considered for a kidney transplant, you've come to the right place.
Nebraska Medicine is recognized as a national leader in the treatment of kidney disease, including kidney transplantation. Our process begins with a thorough evaluation to determine if a patient is a good candidate for a kidney transplant.
If you have an advanced kidney disease and are on the waiting list for a new organ, we strongly encourage you to ask your friends, family and loved ones to be tested to become a living donor. Start the process either by learning more about living donors, or press the button below to fill out the living donor form.
Indications for Transplant
At Nebraska Medicine, we start with the following guidelines to help determine if a patient is a candidate for transplantation. This criteria explains the reasons for inclusion in, or exclusion from, kidney transplantation.
Inclusion
In order to be eligible to receive a kidney transplant:
- You must have chronic irreversible kidney disease that has not responded to other medical or surgical treatments. You are either on dialysis or may require dialysis in the near future.
- You must qualify for and be able to tolerate major surgery.
- You and your family members/support system must be able to understand the risks and benefits of transplantation, including the long-term need for close medical follow-up and lifelong need for anti-rejection therapy.
- You and your family must be able to accept the responsibilities, including financial, that are part of the long-term care you will need after transplantation.
- Nebraska Medicine requires all transplant recipients to have a care partner. A care partner is a spouse, child, or close friend who helps the recipient take care of their kidney. This person helps the transplant recipient with their medications, drives them to appointments, can be a first line of contact and call a doctor for the recipient. Our goal is to have the recipient not handle post-transplant care all by themselves. Expectations of care partners will be explained during transplant recipient evaluation.
Exclusion
You may not be eligible to receive a kidney transplant due to:
- The presence of some other life-threatening disease or condition that would not improve with transplantation. This could include certain cancers, infections that cannot be treated or cured, or severe, uncorrectable heart disease.
- A history of chronic noncompliance including, but not limited to, medical treatments, medications or other behaviors that would affect your ability to fully care for yourself after transplantation.
- A history of chronic and ongoing drug and/or alcohol abuse that cannot be successfully treated before transplantation, putting you at risk for continued harmful behavior after transplantation.
- A history of serious psychiatric disorders that cannot be successfully treated before transplantation, and that would be considered a high risk for ongoing or increased severity of the psychiatric disorder after transplantation.