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Questions & Answers
about Kidneys and Transplantation
Q:
What are kidneys and what do they do?
The kidneys are small, bean shaped organs on either
side of your spine. The main function of the kidneys is
to take out waste from the body. They make urine from
the waste.
Q:
What happens if my kidneys stop working?
Kidneys can stop working for many reasons. If this
happens, you will need treatment to take out the
wastes. You will need either dialysis or a transplant.
This booklet is about transplants.
Q:
What is a transplant?
A transplant is a surgical process. In a transplant, a
donor’s healthy kidney replaces the recipient’s failed
kidney(s). This new kidney takes harmful wastes out of
your blood.
Q:
Where does a transplant kidney come from?
A transplant kidney can come from two places. It can
come from someone who just passed away. It can also
come from someone living. Kidneys from deceased
donors are distributed by a waiting list.
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