{"id":2970,"date":"2026-09-13T09:25:38","date_gmt":"2026-09-13T09:25:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookinghospital.org\/?p=2970"},"modified":"2026-09-13T09:48:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T09:48:15","slug":"kidney-transplant-timeline-tests-hospital-stay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookinghospital.org\/pl\/kidney-transplant-timeline-tests-hospital-stay\/","title":{"rendered":"Kidney Transplant Timeline: From First Test to Going Home"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2970\" class=\"elementor elementor-2970\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b68d492 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"b68d492\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2a530b3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"2a530b3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"bh\">\r\n\r\n<section class=\"hero\">\r\n  <div class=\"in\">\r\n    <p class=\"eyebrow\">Kidney transplantation \u00b7 Planning your stay<\/p>\r\n    <h1>How long does a living donor kidney transplant actually take?<\/h1>\r\n    <p class=\"lead\">From the first blood test to the flight home \u2014 every stage, in order, with\r\n       the real number of days. Plan your time around these, not around guesswork.<\/p>\r\n    <p class=\"meta\">Written by <b style=\"color:#fff\">Profesor dr Murat Tuncer<\/b> \u00b7\r\n       Adapted from his book <i>Przeszczep nerek \u2014 z pytaniami i odpowiedziami<\/i><\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n\r\n<section class=\"wrap\">\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"ozet\">\r\n    <h2>The short answer<\/h2>\r\n    <ul>\r\n      <li>Many tests can be done <b>in your own country<\/b> and sent to us before you travel.\r\n          The rest take <b>2\u20133 days<\/b> here.<\/li>\r\n      <li>Surgery usually follows <b>within 1\u20132 weeks<\/b> of the final decision, depending on\r\n          the operating schedule.<\/li>\r\n      <li>The <b>donor<\/b> goes home on the <b>third day<\/b>. The <b>recipient<\/b> stays\r\n          <b>4\u20136 days<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n      <li>The small internal stent comes out on <b>day 14<\/b>. If there are no problems, the\r\n          patient can <b>fly home<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n      <li>Check-ups continue <b>every week<\/b> for the first 3 months \u2014 from home, with results\r\n          shared online.<\/li>\r\n    <\/ul>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <h2>The whole timeline at a glance<\/h2>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"tblwrap\">\r\n    <table>\r\n      <thead>\r\n        <tr><th>Stage<\/th><th>When<\/th><th>Who<\/th><\/tr>\r\n      <\/thead>\r\n      <tbody>\r\n        <tr><td>Tests that can be done at home, sent in advance<\/td><td><b>Before travel<\/b><\/td><td>Donor and recipient<\/td><\/tr>\r\n        <tr><td>Remaining tests and examinations<\/td><td><b>2\u20133 days<\/b><\/td><td>Donor and recipient<\/td><\/tr>\r\n        <tr><td>Council decision<\/td><td>After all results are in<\/td><td>Transplant team<\/td><\/tr>\r\n        <tr><td>Surgery<\/td><td>Usually <b>1\u20132 weeks<\/b> after the decision<\/td><td>Both<\/td><\/tr>\r\n        <tr><td>Donor discharged<\/td><td><b>Day 3<\/b><\/td><td>Donor<\/td><\/tr>\r\n        <tr><td>Urinary catheter removed, recipient discharged<\/td><td><b>Day 4\u20136<\/b><\/td><td>Recipient<\/td><\/tr>\r\n        <tr><td>Internal stent removed (5 minutes, no anaesthesia)<\/td><td><b>Day 14<\/b><\/td><td>Recipient<\/td><\/tr>\r\n        <tr><td><b>Return home<\/b>, if there are no problems<\/td><td><b>After stent removal<\/b><\/td><td>Both<\/td><\/tr>\r\n        <tr><td>Donor back to light work<\/td><td><b>Week 3\u20134<\/b><\/td><td>Donor<\/td><\/tr>\r\n        <tr><td>Donor back to everything, including heavy lifting<\/td><td><b>Month 2<\/b><\/td><td>Donor<\/td><\/tr>\r\n        <tr><td>Weekly check-ups end; recipient can usually return to work<\/td><td><b>Month 3<\/b><\/td><td>Recipient<\/td><\/tr>\r\n      <\/tbody>\r\n    <\/table>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <h2>Stage 1 \u2014 The tests<\/h2>\r\n\r\n  <p>Once blood groups match, tissue compatibility is checked and explained to the family. The\r\n     transplant coordinator then sends donor and recipient for a full work-up. For the donor,\r\n     the purpose is simple: <b>to be certain that giving a kidney is safe<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <p>Patients coming from abroad do not have to wait until they arrive. <b>Tests that can be\r\n     done in your own country can be sent to us in advance<\/b> through the BookingHospital\r\n     form \u2014 so the days in Turkey are spent on what can only be done here.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <h3>What the donor goes through<\/h3>\r\n\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li><b>Blood tests<\/b> \u2014 blood sugar and HbA1c, kidney and liver function, cholesterol,\r\n        blood count, electrolytes.<\/li>\r\n    <li><b>Infection screening<\/b> \u2014 hepatitis B and C, CMV, HIV and others, plus urine, throat\r\n        and stool samples. The recipient has the same.<\/li>\r\n    <li><b>Blood pressure<\/b> \u2014 the first thing checked, because high blood pressure damages\r\n        kidneys. A single high reading can simply be nerves, so in doubtful cases a\r\n        <b>24-hour monitor<\/b> is worn on the arm through normal activity and sleep.<\/li>\r\n    <li><b>Urine tests<\/b> \u2014 a single sample and a 24-hour collection.<\/li>\r\n    <li><b>Kidney filtration rate (GFR)<\/b> \u2014 now usually calculated from blood values, without\r\n        collecting urine.<\/li>\r\n    <li><b>Heart<\/b> \u2014 ECG and echocardiography.<\/li>\r\n    <li><b>Imaging<\/b> \u2014 chest and abdominal X-rays, and an ultrasound of the abdomen to look\r\n        at the kidneys for cysts or stones.<\/li>\r\n    <li><b>Kidney scintigraphy<\/b> \u2014 measures how much work each kidney does separately.<\/li>\r\n    <li><b>Imaging of the kidney blood vessels<\/b> \u2014 by CT or MRI.<\/li>\r\n    <li><b>Women over 40<\/b> \u2014 gynaecology consultation, mammography and a smear test.<\/li>\r\n    <li><b>Psychiatric, urology and anaesthesia consultations.<\/b><\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"box\">\r\n    <span class=\"etiket\">The detail donors are relieved to hear<\/span>\r\n    <p>Scintigraphy decides <b>which kidney is taken<\/b>. The rule is that the donor always\r\n      <b>keeps the stronger kidney<\/b> \u2014 the one that does less work is the one transplanted.\r\n      If both work equally, the left kidney is usually taken.<\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"soru\">\r\n    <h3>What is the crossmatch test, and what if it is positive?<\/h3>\r\n\r\n    <p>The lymphocyte crossmatch mixes the recipient's blood with the donor's. Even when blood\r\n       group and tissue type match, it gives an early signal of whether the body is likely to\r\n       accept or reject the kidney.<\/p>\r\n\r\n    <p>A positive result is more common in women who have been on dialysis for a long time,\r\n       had many blood transfusions, or given birth. <b>A positive crossmatch does not\r\n       automatically mean the transplant is impossible<\/b> \u2014 the nephrologist re-evaluates\r\n       both patient and donor.<\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <h3>The council<\/h3>\r\n\r\n  <p>No single doctor approves a donor. The results go to a <b>council<\/b> \u2014 nephrology,\r\n     surgery, psychiatry, urology, radiology, pathology, microbiology, the central laboratory,\r\n     nuclear medicine and the transplant coordinator \u2014 and the final decision is taken\r\n     together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"soru\">\r\n    <h3>Why does preparation take months at some centres?<\/h3>\r\n\r\n    <p>Under normal conditions, the preparation for a living donor transplant can be completed\r\n       in <b>2\u20133 days<\/b>. At some centres it stretches to <b>3\u20136 months<\/b>. For a patient not\r\n       yet on dialysis, that delay alone can <b>cost the chance of a transplant before\r\n       dialysis<\/b> \u2014 the best kind.<\/p>\r\n\r\n    <p>Every patient has the right to ask the team about its record before agreeing to\r\n       anything:<\/p>\r\n\r\n    <ul>\r\n      <li>How many transplants have you performed?<\/li>\r\n      <li>How many of those kidneys are still working?<\/li>\r\n      <li>How many of those patients are alive?<\/li>\r\n      <li>How long will my preparation take, and when is the estimated surgery date?<\/li>\r\n    <\/ul>\r\n\r\n    <p>A good centre answers these without hesitation.<\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <h2>Stage 2 \u2014 In hospital<\/h2>\r\n\r\n  <p>The <b>recipient<\/b> usually stays <b>4\u20136 days<\/b>, depending on how they recover. The\r\n     <b>donor<\/b> is discharged on the <b>third day<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li><b>Walking starts the next morning.<\/b> Sit on the edge of the bed with your feet down\r\n        for about five minutes first, and look ahead while taking deep breaths on the first\r\n        walks, so you do not feel dizzy.<\/li>\r\n    <li><b>Breathing exercises<\/b> \u2014 5 to 10 times every waking hour, with a small device the\r\n        team provides. This keeps the lungs clear and prevents pneumonia.<\/li>\r\n    <li><b>A urinary catheter<\/b> is placed during surgery to monitor the new kidney. It comes\r\n        out after 4\u20136 days.<\/li>\r\n    <li><b>A small stent<\/b> \u2014 a thin tube between the new kidney and the bladder \u2014 helps urine\r\n        flow while tissues heal. You will not feel it.<\/li>\r\n    <li><b>Some discharge from the wound<\/b> for a few days is normal.<\/li>\r\n    <li><b>Training starts on day one.<\/b> Nurses teach on the ward; the coordinator teaches at\r\n        discharge. You leave with a written list of every medicine and when to take it.<\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"box\">\r\n    <span class=\"etiket\">For the family: visiting rules<\/span>\r\n    <p>Only <b>close family<\/b> is allowed on the transplant floor, to protect the patient from\r\n      infection. Anyone with a cold or flu should <b>phone instead of visiting<\/b>. Children\r\n      under ten need special permission from the transplant team.<\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <h2>Stage 3 \u2014 Going home, and the months after<\/h2>\r\n\r\n  <h3>For the recipient<\/h3>\r\n\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li><b>The stent<\/b> comes out on <b>day 14<\/b> \u2014 a 5-minute procedure in the urology\r\n        clinic, with <b>no anaesthesia and no pain<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n    <li><b>Stitches dissolve on their own<\/b> \u2014 there is nothing to remove, and nothing to\r\n        arrange for back home.<\/li>\r\n    <li><b>If there are no problems after that, you can return to your country.<\/b><\/li>\r\n    <li><b>No heavy lifting or heavy exercise for 3 months.<\/b> Light exercise can start in the\r\n        first weeks and does not harm the kidney.<\/li>\r\n    <li><b>Work:<\/b> the best time to return is generally <b>after the third month<\/b>, when\r\n        check-ups become less frequent.<\/li>\r\n    <li><b>Swimming in the sea:<\/b> from <b>3 months<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n\r\n  <h3>For the donor<\/h3>\r\n\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li>Normal daily life from the <b>second week<\/b>, without lifting anything heavy.<\/li>\r\n    <li>Light work after <b>3\u20134 weeks<\/b>; heavy work after <b>6\u20138 weeks<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n    <li>After <b>2 months<\/b>, everything they did before surgery.<\/li>\r\n    <li>A check-up at least <b>once a year<\/b>, for life.<\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n\r\n  <h3>How often the recipient is checked<\/h3>\r\n\r\n  <p>Most rejection episodes happen in the first six months \u2014 and most of those in the first\r\n     three. That is why check-ups are so frequent early on. At the author's centre, the\r\n     schedule is:<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"tblwrap\">\r\n    <table>\r\n      <thead>\r\n        <tr><th>Period after transplant<\/th><th>Check-up<\/th><\/tr>\r\n      <\/thead>\r\n      <tbody>\r\n        <tr><td>First 3 months<\/td><td><b>Every week<\/b><\/td><\/tr>\r\n        <tr><td>Months 3\u201312<\/td><td>Every 2 weeks<\/td><\/tr>\r\n        <tr><td>Year 1\u20132<\/td><td>Every 2 months<\/td><\/tr>\r\n        <tr><td>After year 2<\/td><td>Every 3 months<\/td><\/tr>\r\n      <\/tbody>\r\n    <\/table>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <p>What is not optional is keeping to it: patients who miss check-ups <b>lose their kidneys\r\n     sooner<\/b> than patients who attend every one.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"box\">\r\n    <span class=\"etiket\">Back in your own country<\/span>\r\n    <p>You do not need to fly back to Turkey for every check-up. Have the tests done\r\n      <b>where you live<\/b>, and share the results with the transplant team through\r\n      BookingHospital:<\/p>\r\n    <ul>\r\n      <li>through the <b>online form<\/b>,<\/li>\r\n      <li>over <b>WhatsApp<\/b>,<\/li>\r\n      <li>or in an <b>online consultation<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n    <\/ul>\r\n    <p>The team reviews the results and adjusts your medicines from here.<\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"box efsane\">\r\n    <span class=\"etiket\">The fear that is out of date<\/span>\r\n    <p><b>\"The angiogram is the worst part of being a donor.\"<\/b><\/p>\r\n    <p>Classical angiography \u2014 a catheter through the groin, then six hours lying still with a\r\n      sandbag on the leg \u2014 was once the most feared test. It has now largely been\r\n      <b>replaced by CT or MRI<\/b>, and is no different from any other scan.<\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"yazar\">\r\n    <div class=\"rozet\">MT<\/div>\r\n    <div>\r\n      <h3><a href=\"https:\/\/bookinghospital.org\/pl\/murat-tuncer-md\/\" style=\"color:inherit\">Profesor dr Murat Tuncer<\/a><\/h3>\r\n      <p>Nephrologist and transplant physician. Author of <i>Kidney Transplantation \u2014 With\r\n        Questions and Answers<\/i> (Istanbul, 2020).<\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"cta\">\r\n    <h2>Planning your trip? Ask us first<\/h2>\r\n    <p>Send the recipient's and the donor's latest reports. We will tell you which tests can be\r\n       done before you travel, and give you a realistic timeline \u2014 before you book anything.<\/p>\r\n    <div class=\"btns\">\r\n      <a class=\"btn btn-1\" href=\"https:\/\/bookinghospital.org\/pl\/medyczny-turystyka\/\">Prze\u015blij swoje raporty medyczne<\/a>\r\n      <a class=\"btn btn-2\" href=\"\/pl\/category\/kidney-transplant-guide\/\">More patient guides<\/a>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"uyari\">\r\n    <p><b>Wykluczenie odpowiedzialno\u015bci medycznej.<\/b> This article is general information adapted from a published\r\n      book. Timelines vary with each patient's condition and each centre's practice. It is not\r\n      personal medical advice, it does not establish a doctor\u2013patient relationship, and it\r\n      cannot replace assessment by the physician treating you. Always confirm your own\r\n      schedule with your transplant team before making travel or work arrangements.<\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"kaynak\">\r\n    <h3>References<\/h3>\r\n    <ol>\r\n      <li>Abramowicz D, Cochat P, Claas FH, et al. European Renal Best Practice Guideline on\r\n        kidney donor and recipient evaluation and perioperative care.\r\n        <i>Nephrol Dial Transplant<\/i> 2015;30(11):1790\u20131797.<\/li>\r\n    <\/ol>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/section>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kidney transplantation \u00b7 Planning your stay How long does a living donor kidney transplant actually take? From the first blood test to the flight home \u2014 every stage, in order, with the real number of days. Plan your time around these, not around guesswork. Written by Prof. Dr. Murat Tuncer \u00b7 Adapted from his book [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kidney-transplant-guide"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookinghospital.org\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookinghospital.org\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookinghospital.org\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookinghospital.org\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookinghospital.org\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2970"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/bookinghospital.org\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2970\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2987,"href":"https:\/\/bookinghospital.org\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2970\/revisions\/2987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookinghospital.org\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookinghospital.org\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookinghospital.org\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}