A kidney transplant is one of the most common organ transplant surgeries performed today. In this surgery, kidneys that aren’t working well are replaced by a kidney from a donor. This surgery returns kidney function by replacing 2 failed kidneys with 1 healthy organ. In a child, the blood vessels from a large adult kidney transplant are often joined to the child’s aorta (the largest artery in the body) and inferior vena cava (the largest vein in the belly).

In the case of an adult, A kidney transplant is most often placed in the lower belly without removing the failed kidneys. The artery and vein of the new kidney are joined to an artery and a vein in the pelvis next to your bladder. The ureter (the tube that drains urine from the kidney to the bladder) attached to the new kidney is joined to your bladder or to one of your ureters.