Why it's done

The benefits of preemptive kidney transplant before dialysis for people with end-stage kidney disease include:

• Lower risk of rejection of the donor kidney
• Improved survival rates
• Improved quality of life
• Lower treatment costs
• Avoidance of dialysis and its related dietary restrictions and health complications

These benefits of preemptive kidney transplant are especially significant among children and adolescents with end-stage kidney disease.

Risks of preemptive kidney transplant include early exposure to the risks associated with surgery and potentially wasting native kidney function.