Why is there kidney transplant rejection?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Le Thi Minh Huong - Doctor of Resuscitation - Emergency, Department of Resuscitation - Emergency, Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital
Renal transplant rejection is a phenomenon that can happen to people who do not adhere to treatment, often skip doses of medicine and forget to have regular health check-ups. Therefore, patients need to pay attention to these things to minimize the risk of transplant rejection.

1. What is a kidney transplant?

Kidney transplant is surgery done to replace a diseased kidney with someone else's healthy kidney. The transplanted kidney can come from a deceased organ donor or from a living donor. A person who donates one kidney can live a healthy life with the other kidney.
In most cases, the diseased kidney is left in place during the kidney transplant. The transplanted kidney is implanted in the lower abdomen at the front of the body.
MORE: Nutrition for patients after kidney transplant

2. What is kidney transplant rejection?

Kidney transplant rejection is the body's normal response to a foreign body. When a new kidney is transplanted into a person's body, the person's body sees the new kidney as a threat and tries to secrete attacking antibodies to eliminate it without realizing that the newly transplanted kidney is beneficial to the body. body.
In order for the transplanted kidney to successfully live in a new body, drugs must be used to trick the immune system into accepting the transplant, not treating it as a foreign object.
SEE ALSO: Do I need to inject anti-rejection drugs after a kidney transplant?

3. Why was the kidney transplant rejected?

There are many reasons for kidney transplant rejection, mainly due to:
Coagulation: A blood vessel to the transplanted kidney is clotted, preventing the kidney from getting enough blood to survive. This can happen right after surgery. Fluid accumulation: Kidneys can be damaged if there is a pressure-induced perirenal fluid collection if left untreated. Infection: Kidney infections can cause permanent kidney damage if not detected and treated early. Medication side effects: Some medications can harm the kidneys. Donor kidney problems: If the donor kidney had problems before the transplant, the kidney won't be able to function well for a long time. Failure to follow orders: Stopping anti-rejection medication or skipping a dose will provoke the immune system to continue trying to reject the kidney. Over time, it will damage the kidneys to the point of requiring hemodialysis. Recurrent disease: The disease that damaged your original kidney comes back and damages the transplanted kidney. Acute rejection: Occurs immediately after transplant surgery, is now quite rare but can occur at any time. Chronic rejection: This is the most common reason for kidney transplant failures. This is long-term damage caused by the body's immune system for a variety of reasons.

4. Signs of kidney transplant rejection

Each person can have different kidney transplant rejection symptoms. Here are the most common kidney transplant rejection symptoms:
Fever Poor functioning kidneys Increased blood creatinine levels High blood pressure If any one of these symptoms occurs, you need to tell your doctor right away. to tailor the treatment accordingly.
MORE: The role of ultrasound in the assessment of complications after kidney transplantation

5. What to do to prevent kidney transplant rejection?

You must take medication for the rest of your life to prevent kidney transplant rejection. Each body is suitable for different anti-rejection drugs. In which, there are some commonly used drugs, including:
Cyclosporine Tacrolimus Azathioprine Mycophenolate mofetil Prednisone Okt3 Antithymocyte ig (atgam) The dose of anti-rejection drug will be adjusted depending on the body's response to the drug. Anti-rejection drugs affect the immune system, so they can increase the risk of infections for patients during the time of using the drug, especially the first few months after kidney transplant, when it is necessary to use anti-rejection drugs. rejection at high doses. Therefore, during this time, you will most likely be prescribed a combination of medicines to prevent infections.
To balance the prevention of rejection and the risk of infection, blood tests will be performed periodically to make sure you are not receiving too much or too little medicine. The white blood cell count is also an important factor in regulating your medication intake.
Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital has introduced Tacrolimus into the care and treatment system, to ensure that patients can use the appropriate tacrolimus dose regimen to optimize treatment effectiveness, minimize the risk of kidney transplant rejection as well as limit the unwanted effects of the drug. Therefore, the hospital will help patients after kidney transplant improve their quality of life and maintain the daily routine that the patient used to have.

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References: stanfordhealthcare.org, kidney.org