Patients normally stay in hospital for about two weeks after the operation. During this time they are closely monitored.

In some cases the transplanted kidney does not produce any urine in the first few days, or weeks, after the operation. If this happens patients continue with dialysis and wait for the transplanted kidney to start working.

It usually takes between three to six months for patients who have had a successful kidney transplant to return to work and other normal activities. During this time, they need to go for frequent check-ups. Initially these check-ups occur two or three times a week. This changes to once every three months or so once the doctors are satisfied that the kidney is working well.

A good transplant is one that is working well after a year.

A kidney transplant does not last forever. The average lifespan of a transplanted kidney is 8 years for a cadaveric kidney and about 11 years for a living related transplant. The average for a living unrelated transplant is somewhere between the two.

A transplanted cadaveric kidney has, on average:

Younger patients may need two or more transplants in their lives.