Glossary of Terms

A doctor who specializes in the treatment of kidney disease and will manage the medical aspects of care before, during and after transplantation.

Reversible kidney damage resulting in delayed kidney function. Among other factors, it may be caused by quality of donor organ, time of organ storage before transplantation, or medications to prevent rejection.

An x-ray study where dye is injected into a large blood vessel in the groin and x-rays are then taken of the blood vessels supplying the kidneys. The donor surgeon utilizes the information to determine which kidney will be removed and which surgical procedure will be used to remove it.

During a biopsy, which is necessary to confirm the diagnosis, a needle is painlessly guided through the abdominal wall into the kidney to remove a tiny piece of kidney tissue.

The part of the urinary tract that receives urine from the kidneys and stores it until urination.

A waste product normally excreted by the kidney. BUN value represents how well the kidneys function.

A substance found in blood and urine produced normally by muscles, used to measure kidney function. High blood creatinine levels indicate depressed kidney function.

The process of cleansing and achieving chemical balance in the blood of kidney failure patients. There are two types: hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis (PD).

Excess fluid in body tissues that can cause swelling. May be caused by drinking too much liquid between dialysis treatments or inadequate dialysis.

A method of dialysis in which blood is purified by circulating through an apparatus outside the body sometimes known as an “artificial kidney.”

One of two bean-shaped organs that filter wastes from the blood. The kidneys are located near the middle of the back. They create urine, which is delivered to the bladder through tubes called ureters.

A procedure for treating advanced or permanent kidney failure. In Peritoneal Dialysis, a soft tube called a catheter is used to fill the abdomen with a cleansing liquid called dialysis solution. The solution pulls wastes and extra fluid into the abdominal cavity. These wastes and fluid then leave the body when the dialysis solution is drained.

Of or relating to the kidney.

Also known as Bladder x-ray study, this test is done only if there is a question as to whether your bladder function is normal.