If the transplant team thinks they may have a kidney for a patient, they will call and ask the patient to come to the hospital for final medical clearance and compatibility check. If the patient is selected to receive the available kidney, they are immediately admitted for transplant.

A typical kidney transplant takes between three and four hours. After the transplant, the patient goes to a recovery room and then to a monitored bed. Following a kidney transplant, patients are out of bed within 24 hours. The patient typically stays in the hospital for four to five days, barring any complications.

All the transplant rooms are private, both pre- and post-transplant. Loved ones can stay over in the patient’s room on large, reclining upholstered chairs. Or, arrangements can be made for family members or friends to stay at the Hospitality House located on the grounds of Albert Einstein Medical Center.