What Is a Transplant Urologist?

A transplant urologist is a urologist who has completed additional fellowship training in kidney transplant surgery. These specialists perform the surgical procedure of kidney transplantation and manage urologic complications that can arise in transplant patients. They work as part of a multidisciplinary transplant team that includes nephrologists, transplant coordinators, and other specialists.

What Conditions Does a Transplant Urologist Treat?

End-stage kidney disease requiring kidney transplant
Living donor kidney evaluation and surgery
Transplant-related urologic complications (ureteral stricture, urine leak, lymphocele)
Kidney stones in a transplanted kidney
Urologic issues in transplant recipients

What Procedures Does a Transplant Urologist Perform?

Transplant urologists perform kidney transplant surgery (both deceased and living donor), living donor nephrectomy (removing a kidney from a living donor, often using robotic or laparoscopic techniques), ureteral reimplantation in transplant kidneys, and management of post-transplant urologic complications.

Who Should See a Transplant Urologist?

Patients with end-stage kidney disease who are candidates for kidney transplantation, individuals considering being a living kidney donor, and transplant recipients with urologic complications should see a transplant urologist. These specialists are typically found at major medical centers and transplant programs.