T86.11: Chronic decline in kidney function post-transplant

You have received a donor kidney that has been working less for a long time.

There are normally 2 kidneys in the body. They filter blood and create urine. They thus help to detoxify the body. Furthermore, the kidneys regulate the blood pressure and salt content in the blood, among other things. When one receives a donor kidney, it is usually placed at the bottom of the abdomen. An individual’s own kidneys usually remain in their appropriate place in the body.

When tissue is donated, the patient’s tissue and the donated tissue should be as similar to one another as possible. Otherwise the immune system may attack the donated tissue. For example, the immune system also fights altered body cells or disease pathogens. Therefore certain tissue characteristics are compared before a tissue donation. For example, one such characteristic of a tissue is the blood group.

There can be various reasons if a donor kidney does not function properly. For example, it may be that the patient’s own immune system is fighting the donor kidney. The kidney tissue may then become inflamed and damaged, for example. The donor kidney may also not be properly supplied with blood.

You may have various symptoms if the donor kidney does not work properly. If the donor kidney does not produce enough urine, you excrete little urine. Too much fluid then remains in the body. This fluid can then collect in the legs, for example. If the donor kidney no longer works properly, substances can also collect in the body. These substances are normally excreted in the urine. The body can be damaged by these substances. You may additionally have problems with blood pressure or pain in your abdomen.