Guide to Renal (Kidney) Transplantation

Reviewed by the physicians of Columbia’s Kidney Transplant Team (December, 2023)

In a kidney transplant, a patient with advanced renal (kidney) disease or kidney failure receives a healthy kidney from a living donor or from a recently deceased donor. Symptoms of renal disease may include fluid retention, shortness of breath, change in mental status, abnormal urine or blood test results, high blood pressure, fatigue, and headaches. For select patients, a kidney transplant can provide a very effective treatment of their renal disease—allowing them to function normally with few dietary restrictions, minor physical limitations, and continued maintenance on medications.

Led by Lloyd E. Ratner, MD, the kidney transplant surgeons and staff at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center (NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia) are recognized pioneers in kidney transplantation procedures. Our goal is to get patients off the transplant list and able to live healthy lives. To achieve that goal, we develop and employ innovative solutions, such as using plasmapheresis for incompatible live donors and arranging paired donor exchanges, as well as more traditional approaches, including compatible live donor transplants and deceased donor procedures.

Next Steps

If you or someone you care about is in need of a kidney transplant, we can help. Call us at (212) 305-6469 to get started today, or sign up with one of our online forms: I Need A Transplant » | I Want to Donate My Kidney »

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Stories & Perspectives

Healthy Baby after Kidney Transplant and Another on the Way

By age 23, Fanny Powers was on dialysis, and dangerously underweight, having dropped to 92 pounds. She underwent a Kidney transplant at NewYork-Presbyterian/ Columbia, and went on to have two healthy babies. 

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