Prof. Dr. Emel Akoğlu
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Kidney & Bladder
Kidney transplant
What a kidney transplant is, how living-donor and deceased-donor transplants differ, what Turkish law requires for foreign patients, who qualifies, what the operation and anti-rejection medicines involve, approximate costs in Turkey against the UK, US and Germany, recovery, risks and how to check a transplant centre.
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Prof. Dr. Zerrin Biçik Bahçebaşı
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Kidney transplant in Turkey: what it is and how it works
A kidney transplant is an operation that places a healthy kidney from a donor into a person whose own kidneys have failed. The new kidney is usually placed low in the abdomen, in front of the pelvic bone, and connected to the recipient's blood vessels and bladder; the person's own kidneys normally stay where they are. A working transplant filters the blood, so most people no longer need dialysis. It is a treatment for kidney failure, not a cure: the transplanted kidney is recognised as foreign by the immune system, so you take anti-rejection medicines for as long as it works.
Turkey has an established transplant programme, with many centres carrying out living-donor transplants every year. Foreign patients can be treated, but only within strict legal and ethical rules that are explained below. This guide covers who qualifies, living and deceased donors, the legal framework, the operation, cost against the UK, US and Germany, recovery and risks. It is general information and your own kidney team makes the medical decision. See also our urology treatments in Turkey.
Can foreigners have a kidney transplant in Turkey? The legal rules
This is the question to settle first. Turkish law allows living-donor kidney transplants only between close relatives (generally up to the fourth degree of kinship) or spouses, and each case is reviewed by a hospital ethics committee and by the Ministry of Health. Buying or selling organs is a criminal offence in Turkey, and the World Health Organization and the Declaration of Istanbul condemn organ trafficking and transplant tourism. A reputable centre will ask for documents proving the relationship and the donor's free, informed consent, and will refuse a case that cannot show them. Foreign patients are also generally not placed on the national deceased-donor waiting list in the same way as residents. Because rules are applied case by case and change, confirm eligibility with the hospital in writing before you travel, and be wary of anyone who offers a donor or promises to find one.
Who is a candidate for a kidney transplant?
Candidates are adults, and some children, with advanced chronic kidney disease or kidney failure who are fit enough for major surgery and long-term immunosuppression. The transplant team looks at your heart, lungs, blood vessels, infection history, cancer history and whether you can take medicines reliably. Active cancer, a serious uncontrolled infection, severe heart or lung disease and some other conditions can rule it out or require treatment first. A person with reduced kidney function who is not yet on dialysis can be transplanted early, sometimes before dialysis starts, which often gives better results. The donor must also be assessed in full: blood and tissue matching, kidney function, imaging and a health and psychological review.
Living donor or deceased donor: how do they compare?
| Type | Best suited to | Typical limits |
|---|---|---|
| Living donor (related or spouse) | Planned surgery, often before dialysis; generally longer-lasting kidney | Needs a healthy, willing donor; the donor has an operation and a small long-term risk |
| Deceased donor | Patients without a suitable living donor | Waiting time; timing not planned; access for foreigners is limited |
| Dialysis (no transplant) | Patients not fit for surgery or waiting for a kidney | Lower survival and quality of life over the long term for many patients |
Compared with staying on dialysis, a successful transplant gives most people longer survival and a better quality of life, which is why guidelines from NICE and the European Association of Urology favour it for those who are fit. For the alternative, see our page on dialysis. Donors have a kidney removed by keyhole surgery; the operation is described under nephrectomy.
How is a kidney transplant done, step by step?
Before surgery the matching is checked: blood group, tissue type (HLA) and a cross-match to see whether your blood reacts against the donor's cells. The operation is under general anaesthesia and takes about three to four hours. The surgeon makes a curved cut in the lower abdomen, joins the donor's renal artery and vein to the recipient's iliac vessels and connects the ureter to the bladder, often with a small stent. Urine usually starts within minutes from a living-donor kidney, a little later from a deceased one. You wake in a ward or intensive-care unit and start anti-rejection medicines straight away. The donor's operation usually takes two to three hours and is often done by keyhole surgery.
Kidney transplant cost in Turkey compared with the UK, US and Germany
The figures below are approximate ranges for the transplant for the recipient, including the hospital stay, not hospital quotes. They vary widely with the type of donor, the length of stay, any complications and the first months of medicines.
| Country | Approximate cost range |
|---|---|
| Turkey | €20,000 – €50,000 |
| United Kingdom | €40,000 – €90,000 |
| United States | €150,000 – €450,000 |
| Germany | €50,000 – €110,000 |
Ask whether the quote includes the tests for both donor and recipient, the donor's operation and stay, intensive care, the first anti-rejection medicines, possible complications and the weeks of follow-up in Turkey. Medicines are required for life and are a continuing cost at home. Any quote that appears too low, or that arrives without a medical review and the legal paperwork, should be treated with caution.
Kidney transplant recovery: hospital stay, medicines and follow-up
Recipients usually stay in hospital for about seven to ten days and remain near the centre for several weeks so that the team can check kidney function, drug levels and the wound. Most people stay in Turkey four to eight weeks, longer if there is a rejection episode or infection. Blood tests are frequent at first and then spaced out. You take several medicines every day, including a tacrolimus-type drug, and avoid crowds and sick contacts for the first months because immunity is lowered. Many people return to desk work after about two to three months, and to full activity once the surgeon agrees. Donors usually go home after two to four days and return to desk work in two to four weeks. After you return home, your own kidney team must take over care, so arrange this before you leave.
Kidney transplant results: how long does a transplanted kidney last?
Outcomes are good but not permanent. A living-donor kidney often works for fifteen to twenty years or more, and a deceased-donor kidney for somewhat less on average, though individual results vary widely with age, matching, medicines taken as prescribed, infections and other illness. Some patients need a second transplant or return to dialysis. Results depend heavily on the centre's volume and on lifelong follow-up. Be cautious of any promise of a fixed lifespan for the kidney, and ask the centre for its own one-year and five-year survival figures for kidneys and patients, which are published by established units.
Risks and complications of a kidney transplant
Surgical risks include bleeding, infection, blood clots, a narrowing or leak at the ureter connection and problems with the wound. The main long-term risk is rejection, which is treated with stronger medicines and may be reversible if found early. Anti-rejection drugs raise the risk of infections and certain cancers, especially skin cancer, and can cause high blood pressure, diabetes, tremor and kidney toxicity. The original kidney disease can sometimes return in the new kidney. For donors, risks include pain, infection, bleeding, hernia and a small increase in long-term risk of high blood pressure and reduced kidney function. The NHS, the National Kidney Foundation and national transplant services recommend that donors and recipients both receive independent advice before agreeing.
How to choose a transplant centre, and red flags
Choose a hospital with a licensed, active transplant programme, a dedicated transplant surgeon and nephrologist, an ethics committee, an intensive-care unit, a tissue-typing laboratory and a donor-protection process. Ask how many transplants the unit performs each year and for its results. Red flags include any broker offering a donor, a quote that does not mention an ethics committee, no assessment of the donor, quick promises of a date, no plan for lifelong follow-up and pressure to pay before a medical review. Read how our process works and send your reports through the free quote page for a written assessment.
Questions to ask the clinic:
- Is a foreign patient eligible, and what documents are required for the donor and relationship?
- How many kidney transplants does this unit perform each year, and what are its results?
- What does the price include for the recipient and the donor, and for how many weeks of follow-up?
- Which anti-rejection medicines will I take, and can I obtain them at home?
- Who will manage my care in my own country, and will your team send them the report?
Conditions treated with Kidney Transplant
Hospitals with Urology in Turkey
Frequently asked questions
A kidney transplant places a healthy kidney from a donor into a person whose kidneys have failed. The new kidney takes over filtering the blood, and the person takes anti-rejection medicines for as long as it works.
Yes, within strict rules. Living-donor transplants are allowed between close relatives or spouses with ethics committee approval, buying organs is illegal, and access to the deceased-donor list is limited. Confirm eligibility in writing first.
Approximate ranges are €20,000 to €50,000 in Turkey against about €40,000 to €90,000 in the UK. Price depends on the donor type, stay and complications; the hospital confirms it in a written quote.
A living-donor kidney often lasts fifteen to twenty years or more, and a deceased-donor kidney somewhat less on average. Results vary with age, matching, infections and taking medicines exactly as prescribed.
Hospital stay is usually seven to ten days, with several weeks of nearby follow-up. Many people return to desk work after two to three months. Donors recover faster, often in two to four weeks.
You are under general anaesthesia. Afterwards there is soreness around the abdominal wound, usually controlled with painkillers, and it eases over the first one to two weeks.
Risks include bleeding, infection, rejection, clots and problems at the ureter connection. Anti-rejection medicines raise the risk of infections and some cancers and can cause high blood pressure or diabetes.
Living-donor kidneys on average last longer and can be planned in advance, but they need a suitable, willing donor who accepts an operation. Neither is right for everyone; the team will explain the choice.
The donor has a full health assessment, then a kidney removed, often by keyhole surgery lasting two to three hours. Most donors go home after two to four days and return to desk work within a few weeks.
Most recipients stay four to eight weeks: seven to ten days in hospital, then nearby for blood tests, drug-level checks and wound review. Complications can extend this.
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