How successful are kidney transplant operations?
Breakthroughs in the last 20 years in surgical skills, immunosuppressive drugs and tissue typing have all translated directly into long-term success rates. While all surgery is risky, experience has shown where the kidney donor is a relative; the donor kidney will be functioning two years after the time of the transplant 95 percent of the time. The chance of a cadaver transplant continuing to work over one year after the transplant is about 85% and about 50% at five years. However, both living donor and cadaver transplants can function for many more years. The loss of function occurs most often during the first two years. Therefore a transplanted kidney that is working well two years after a transplant is more likely to continue to function for long periods of time. Research shows the success rate for a transplant where the kidney donor is a relative is 98% while a transplant where the donor is a cadaver is 85%. So the chances of success are high.
