What happens right after the procedure?

The hospital stay for a donor is about 2 to 3 days. Recovery after the operation is usually uneventful. The person will have a bladder catheter that is put in place during the surgery. This is usually removed after the first day. The individual is usually up and around within 24 hours. He or she can resume eating as soon as the anesthesia wears off.

The kidney recipient needs to stay in the hospital from 3 to 7 days. A bladder catheter is inserted during the surgery. It can usually be removed by the second day after the operation. The recipient can generally resume eating within 24 hours. He or she should be able to get out of bed and walk as soon as the anesthesia wears off.

The recipient of the new organ needs to take drugs to suppress the immune system and prevent the body from rejecting the new kidney. These are started either immediately before or during the transplant procedure. The patient is monitored carefully during the first week or two to determine the proper dosages.