When the kidneys stop working, toxic waste products build up in the body, eventually resulting in end-stage kidney disease. A child who reaches end-stage kidney disease will need either dialysis — a mechanical process for filtering waste products out of blood — or a transplant. Neither of these options cures kidney failure. However, a successful transplant offers the closest thing to a normal state.
UCSF's Organ Transplant Program is a leader in performing kidney and liver transplants in children, attracting patients from throughout the West Coast.
During the evaluation for a kidney transplant, a transplant coordinator will arrange for a series of tests to assess your child's treatment options. The transplant staff will discuss any medical problems that need to be evaluated before the transplant, such as heart disease, infections, bladder dysfunction, ulcer disease or obesity. A social worker will meet with you to assess transportation, housing, financial and family support needs, and a financial counselor will meet with you to ensure you understand the covered benefits of your insurance policy.
We encourage you to ask questions and learn as much as possible about the transplant process before making a decision. You do not need to reach a decision by the end of the session.
Regardless of the type of kidney your child may receive — from a living donor or a deceased donor — special blood tests are needed to determine your child's kind of blood and tissue. These test results help to match a donor kidney to your child.
Kidneys for transplantation may come from either living or deceased donors.
In the past, most living kidney donors had an open surgical procedure requiring a large incision to remove the kidney, which usually resulted in a two-month recovery period. A new procedure, called laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, uses tiny incisions and miniature instruments to remove the kidney. We offer the laparoscopic procedure through a cooperative program involving transplant surgeon Dr. Chris Freise, general laparoscopic surgeon Dr. Quan-yang Duh and urologic surgeon Dr. Marshall Stoller. Our team has performed approximately 60 procedures since November 1999.
Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital.
Last updated
June 17, 2010
Kidney Transplant Program
400 Parnassus Ave., A68 Plaza
San Francisco, CA 94143
Phone: (415) 353-8377
Toll-free: (800) 482-7389
Appointment information
Dialysis Unit
400 Parnassus Ave., Room A127
San Francisco, CA 94143-0314
Phone: (415) 353-2425
Fax: (415) 353-2768
Appointment information