Kidney transplantation is considered the treatment of choice for many people with severe chronic kidney disease because quality of life and survival (life expectancy) are often better than in people who are treated with dialysis. However, there is a shortage of organs available for donation.

There may also be a chance of having high blood pressure later in life. However, the loss in kidney function is usually very mild, and life span is normal. Most people with one kidney live healthy, normal lives with few problems. In other words, one healthy kidney can work as well as two.

As a result, the average life expectancy for a patient on dialysis is generally five years. On the other hand, patients who receive a kidney transplant typically live longer than those who stay on dialysis. A living donor kidney functions, on average, 12 to 20 years, and a deceased donor kidney from 8 to 12 years.

Conclusion Live kidney donation may reduce life expectancy by 0.5–1 year in most donors. The development of ESRD in donors may not be the only measure of risk as most of the predicted loss of life predates ESRD.

Although most transplants are successful and last for many years, how long they last can vary from one person to the next. Many people will need more than one kidney transplant during a lifetime.

Death (Worldwide mortality rate for living kidney donors is 0.03% to 0.06%)

Living kidney donor deaths in the United States 23 2015, 12 living kidney donors have died in the United States within 30 days of donation from causes determined to be medical in nature, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN).

Kidney donation involves major surgery and there are risks, including bleeding and infection. But the overwhelming majority of kidney donors recover with minimal complications.

Siblings have a 25% chance of being an “exact match” for a living donor and a 50% chance of being a “half-match.” Donor compatibility is established through blood tests that look for matching blood types and antigens.

Kidney donation is a low-risk procedure, but this does not mean that it is risk-free. While complications happen less than 5 percent of the time, as with any surgical procedure, there is a small possibility of infection, anesthesia complications, bleeding, blood clots, hernias or post-operative pneumonia.

It was thought that kidney cells didn’t reproduce much once the organ was fully formed, but new research shows that the kidneys are regenerating and repairing themselves throughout life.

Here are some tips to help keep your kidneys healthy.

1. Keep active and fit.
2. Control your blood sugar.
3. Monitor blood pressure.
4. Monitor weight and eat a healthy diet.
5. Drink plenty of fluids.
6. Don’t smoke.
7. Be aware of the amount of OTC pills you take.
8. Have your kidney function tested if you’re at high risk.

On the other hand, sodium bicarbonate (AKA baking soda) is useful for some people with kidney disease. For them, baking soda makes the blood less acid, which slows the progression of kidney disease. However, people with healthy kidneys should NOT eat baking soda!

Note that ketosis also makes your blood more acidic and can cause bad breath, fatigue, and other unpleasant symptoms. Longer fasts can lead to kidney and liver damage.

When you drink too much water, your kidneys can’t get rid of the excess water. The sodium content of your blood becomes diluted. This is called hyponatremia and it can be life-threatening.