Medical Complications of Kidney Transplantation

Kidney transplantation is the treatment that offers the best quality of life for patients with chronic kidney disease. The post-transplant period can be marked by various complications that threaten the patient's life or the graft's function. Two phases characterize the follow-up of transplant recipients: an early phase characterized by the onset of complications, primarily immunological, infectious, and sometimes surgical. The second phase is the late phase, characterized by cardiovascular, neoplastic, metabolic, and bone complications. Most of these complications are caused or exacerbated by immunosuppressive therapy. Short-term graft and patient survival following kidney transplantation has improved thanks to the discovery of new immunosuppressants and better strategies for preventing complications. Currently, the focus is on preventing chronic allograft nephropathy, reducing the toxicity of immunosuppressants, and preventing and treating neoplastic and cardiovascular complications, which should lead to improved long-term survival for transplant patients.