Transplant Living: Organ Donation and Transplantation Information for Patients


Organ Facts Heart Lung Heart/Lung Kidney Pancreas Kidney/Pancreas Liver Intestine Diseases Polycystic kidneys Diabetes mellitus COPD Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis Cystic fibrosis Hypertension Coronary heart disease Cardiomyopathy Short gut syndrome Cirrhosis Hepatitis Living with Devices Artificial Hearts LVADS ICDs Pacemakers Hemodialysis Peritoneal Dialysis Liver Support Systems About Organ Allocation Matching Organs Waiting for an Organ Policies Getting on the List The National Waiting List People You Should Know Questions to Ask Selecting a Hospital Which Hospital Is Best For You? Other Options to Consider Financing a Transplant The Costs Social Services Funding Sources Care Following a Transplant Financial Resources Directory Financial Q & A Preparing for a Transplant Waiting for Your Transplant Emotional Aspects of Waiting Q & A		Organ Facts Kidney How the Kidney Works The kidneys are a pair of reddish-brown organs located on either side of the spine just below the diaphragm, behind the liver and stomach. They are bean-shaped and about 4 and 1/2 inches long, 2 and 1/2 inches wide and one inch thick. The primary function of the kidneys is to remove waste from the body through the production of urine. They also help to regulate blood pressure, blood volume and the chemical (electrolyte) composition of the blood. U.S. Kidney Transplants Performed The chart below shows the number of kidney transplants performed each year from January 1, 2002 - June 30, 2008. Based on current OPTN data as reported on September 5, 2008. Data subject to change based on future data submission or correction. Common Diseases That May Lead to Transplantation Polycystic kidneys Nephrosclerosis Chronic pyelonephritis Glomerulonephritis Diabetes mellitus Kidney stones Renal cell carcinoma Wilms' tumor Was this information helpful? E-mail us with feedback or questions. Reference and Publication Information The United Network for Organ Sharing is committed to providing accurate and reliable information for transplant patients. To learn more about our content authorship and review process, please read about our Editorial Board. The content on this page was originally created on August 1, 2003 by the United Network for Organ Sharing and last modified on December 20, 2005. This Web site is intended solely for the purpose of electronically providing the public with general health-related information and convenient access to the data resources. UNOS is not affiliated with any one product nor does UNOS assume responsibility for any error, omissions or other discrepancies.		You may also want to learn about: How to understand transplant statistics Kidney Transplant Centers Kidney center data reports Policies specific to the kidney How a kidney transplant is performed Kidney dialysis Living donation facts Polycystic kidneys Diabetes Diabetes Discriminates. Learn more about the importance of discussing the risks of this disease with your transplant team.