Kidney Transplant
Kidney transplant surgeries take place at Phoenix Children’s Hospital - Thomas Campus. If your child is receiving a kidney from a living donor, the donor's surgery will take place at nearby St. Joseph Hospital & Medical Center.
Our team will guide you through each step of the process, so you know what to expect.
Most children receive just one kidney during transplant surgery. The surgery will take three to five hours under general anesthesia. The transplant surgeon will make a cut in the lower belly and attach the new kidney to blood vessels and the bladder. Your child's nonworking kidney (or kidneys) will likely remain in your child's body unless they are causing other medical problems.
The new kidney should start working within a few hours or faster if your child receives a kidney from a living donor. After surgery, your child will go to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for approximately two days. Most children leave the hospital within about eight days. A child who is experiencing medical complications may need to stay longer.