The kidney
As bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist, kidneys are made up of
filters and tubes which act to filter the blood. Located on each side of the
spine, below the rib cage, the kidney is connected to the renal artery and the
renal vein, as well as to the bladder.
As blood enters through the renal artery, the kidneys act to filter waste
products from it. The cleaned blood then leaves the kidney through the renal
vein. The waste, called urine, leaves the kidneys through tubes called ureters,
which are connected to the bladder. During urination, this waste passes out of
the body through a tube called the urethra.
The kidneys are responsible for many important functions including:
- Clearing waste products from the body
- Controlling the amount of fluid in the body
- Making a hormone that helps the body produce red blood cells
- Creating the active form of vitamin D, which is needed for strong bones
and growth
- Controlling blood pressure
When kidneys no longer effectively clear the body of waste products, the
condition called End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) results.
Unfortunately, there are no cures for ESRD, so recommended treatment is
dialysis and/or kidney transplantation. Since people need only one healthy
kidney to survive, if someone in your family is a good match for you, he or she
may donate a kidn ey. If no one in your family can donate a kidney, an unrelated
live donor can be considered and your name can be placed on a waiting list for a
cadaver kidney.
During a kidney transplant operation, the new kidney is placed in the lower
front half of your abdomen, on either the right or left side. Next, the renal
artery and vein of your new kidney is connected to your iliac (groin) artery and
vein. Finally, the ureter of your new kidney is connected to your bladder, so
urine can flow from the transplanted kidney into your bladder.