Imaging of the Renal Donor and Transplant Recipient

Renal transplant remains the mainstay of the treatment of end-stage renal disease. With improvement in management strategies and the diverse imaging options, the yearly survival of recipients with functional kidneys has improved significantly. This improved survival is attributed to factors such as immunosuppressive therapy planning in recipients, human leukocyte antigen matching, surgeon experience, and recipient's age. Transplantation offers the closest thing to a normal state if the transplanted kidney can replace the failed kidneys. Living-donor kidney transplants are playing a vital role in bridging the gap between decreased supply of, and increased demand for, kidneys for transplant. Early detection and characterization of complications in the recipient are of immense clinical relevance, allowing timely intervention to prevent graft failure.