Renal Transplant Referral and Criteria

The important first step to a successful kidney transplant is a timely referral for transplant evaluation. There are a number of barriers to early referral for kidney transplant evaluation. These include a lack of complete understanding of the process and the advantages and disadvantages of kidney transplantation as a therapy for chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease by both patients and physicians. The aim of this chapter is to provide an understanding of the referral process for kidney transplantation.