Overview

A preemptive kidney transplant is when you receive a kidney transplant before your kidney function deteriorates to the point of needing dialysis to replace the normal filtering function of the kidneys.

Currently, most kidney transplants are performed on people who are on dialysis because their kidneys are no longer able to adequately clean impurities from the blood.

Preemptive kidney transplant is considered the preferred treatment for end-stage kidney disease, but only about 20% of kidney transplants are performed preemptively in the U.S.

Several factors have been linked to the lower than expected rate of preemptive kidney transplants, such as:

• Shortage of donor kidneys
• Lack of access to transplant centers
• Low rates of physician referrals for the procedure among candidates of lower socioeconomic status
• Lack of physician awareness of current guidelines