You may be good candidate for a kidney transplant. This is a major surgical procedure that places a kidney from another person into your body.

A kidney can be donated by a living blood relative, such as a parent or a sibling.

A living non-related donor is someone who is usually very close to the patient, such as a spouse or very close friend.

A non-living, or deceased donor, is someone who has been declared brain dead by a physician and is a suitable candidate to donate his or her organs. Non-living or deceased donors have declared their intention to become a donor known prior to death.

The success rates for all three types of transplants are high.

Because many patients do not have a suitable living donor (relative or friend), most transplant candidates are on a waiting list for a kidney from a non-living donor kidney.