Kidney Transplant

There are several situations where a kidney transplant may be considered a viable option. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Diabetes
  • adult onset, or type 2
  • juvenile diabetes, or type 1
• Hypertension/high blood pressure
• Congenital renal obstructive disorders leading to hydronephrosis, including the following:
  • Ureteropelvic junction obstruction
  • Vesicoureteral reflux
  • Posterior urethral valves
  • Prune belly syndrome
  • Megaureter
• Congenital nephrotic syndrome
• Alport syndrome
• Nephropathic and juvenile cystinosis
• Polycystic kidney disease
• Nail-patella syndrome
• Glomerulonephritis
• Berger disease
• Henoch-Schönlein purpura
• Hemolytic uremic syndrome
• Wegener granulomatosis
• Goodpasture syndrome

You must go through several medical tests before eligibility is determined. You will meet with a team of physicians, surgeons and specialists. The evaluation time takes approximately one to two months. 
You will need to go through a referral process. Read the frequently asked questions about kidney transplant referrals.

Sometimes, a patient may need a kidney/pancreas transplant. While a patient who requires a pancreas transplant will most likely need a kidney transplant, a patient who needs a kidney transplant may not necessarily require a .

Yes. The Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Transplant Center offers several different options for kidney transplant, including living donation. Your physician and surgeons will work with you to determine your best option: 

• Traditional Donation:
  • Traditional kidney transplants occur when a patient receives a kidney from a deceased donor. This organ is referred to as a cadaveric kidney.
• Living Donor Transplant:
  • When a patient has a family member or friend who is willing to donate a kidney, this is called a living donor transplant.
• Incompatible Kidney Transplant:
  • More than one-third of willing donors are turned down because their blood types are not compatible with the person to whom they wish to donate their kidney. The Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Transplant Center developed methods to make a donated kidney more compatible. Our Incompatible Kidney Transplant Program (InKTP), founded in 1998, is a world leader in this kind of transplant, and has shown dramatic outcomes.
• Kidney Swap / Exchange:
  • At Johns Hopkins, we also participate in kidney swaps and exchanges, where donor/recipient pairs will trade organs. For example, if Donor A was unable to donate to Recipient A, he could donate to Recipient B. Recipient B’s donor would then donate to Patient A. This is a very effective way of managing incompatible donors and recipients.
• Non-Directed (Altruistic) Donor:
  • The Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Transplant Center encourages people to consider becoming a non-directed kidney donor. These donors do not know the recipient, and are donating to improve the health of an unknown individual. Non-directed donations can set off a domino of kidney donations, which can have an effect on many people. One of the largest kidney exchanges that was started by a non-directed donor resulted in fourteen transplantations.