Not everyone with kidney failure is a suitable candidate for a kidney transplant.

Under certain medical conditions, transplantation is not an option.

Your healthcare team will evaluate your condition and advise you of your suitability for a transplant.

If you decide that a transplant is the right choice for you, you may still need to wait for a kidney to be available. You need to have a good “match” of blood and tissue to reduce the chance of rejection.

Before transplantation, special blood tests are done to determine if a kidney will match. Even if you have a relative or friend who is willing to be a donor, their kidney might not be a good match for you. Although the chance of rejection is much lower with a well-matched kidney, it is still possible.

The time it takes to get a transplant varies. There are not enough non-living donor kidneys for everyone who needs a transplant. Because of this, some patients may be on a waiting list for some time.