Kidney Transplant Side Effects and Warnings

Possible Complications

If you are planning to have a kidney transplant, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:

• Infection
• Bleeding
• Rejection of the new kidney
• Urine leakage into the body
• Blood clot
• Damage to blood vessels or nerves
• Damage to nearby organs
• Urinary obstruction
• Cancer risk due to prolonged use of immunosuppressive drugs

Some factors that may increase the risk of complications include:

• Pre-existing medical conditions, especially certain heart, lung, and liver diseases
• Autoimmune disease
• Current infection
• Extreme age (young or old) of either you or the donor
• Poorly matching tissue between you and the donor
• Prior failed transplant
• Pregnancy
• Conditions that will likely result in a recurrence of kidney failure in the new kidney
• Cancer

Be sure to discuss these risks with your doctor before the surgery.

Call Your Doctor

After you leave the hospital, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:

• Signs of infection, including fever and chills
• Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or discharge from the incision site
• Passing no or only small amounts of urine
• Pain, burning, urgency, frequency of urination, or persistent bleeding in the urine
• Vomiting, black or tarry stools, or diarrhea or constipation
• Abdominal pain or cramping
• Sore throat or mouth sores
• Cough, shortness of breath, or any chest pain
• Coughing up blood
• Severe headache
• Headache, confusion, dizziness, light-headedness, or loss of consciousness
• Pain and/or swelling in your feet, calves, or legs
• High blood pressure
• Weight gain greater than three pounds in one day

In case of an emergency, CALL 911.