An official website of the United States government
Here’s how you know
Official websites use .gov A
.gov website belongs to an official government
organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A
lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to
the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official,
secure websites.
Kidney transplant may be recommended for patients with kidney failure caused by:
Severe, uncontrollable high blood pressure (hypertension)
Infections
Diabetes mellitus
Congenital abnormalities of the kidneys
Other diseases which cause renal failure, such as autoimmune disease
Donor kidneys are obtained from either brain-dead organ donors, or from living relatives or friends of the recipient.
Review Date 4/1/2025
Updated by: Kelly L. Stratton, MD, FACS, Associate Professor, Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
