Paediatric renal transplantation

Kidney transplantation is the gold standard renal replacement therapy. Ideally, transplantation should be pre-emptive, before dialysis is needed. There is an extensive period of workup for transplantation to maximize the outcome for the graft, to ensure that recipients and their families are knowledgeable about transplantation, and to allow any pre-transplant treatment necessary. Organs come from deceased or living donors: living donor kidney transplants probably fare better. Complications are diverse and careful, and lifelong follow up is required. Patients transplanted in childhood will need retransplantation in later life, and attention to transition into adult care and future planning are very important. A multiprofessional approach is key.