The Kidney Transplant Process
We guide you through every step of the transplant process—from initial case review and medical evaluation to donor assessment, legal documentation, and surgery—ensuring clarity, safety, and full compliance with all medical and regulatory requirements.
Our structured approach is designed to support both recipient and donor, providing a coordinated, transparent pathway that prioritizes ethical standards and optimal clinical outcomes.
Our International Kidney Transplant Program
Kidney Donation Options
Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for chronic kidney failure, offering a better quality of life and higher survival rates compared to dialysis.
There are two primary pathways to receive an organ: through a living donor (typically a relative or someone close to the patient) or via the hospital waiting list (deceased donation). The choice of pathway depends on medical urgency, the availability of a compatible donor, and compliance with current legal requirements in Mexico.
Living Kidney Donation
Advantages:
-
Scheduling: Surgery is planned on a date that is convenient for both the donor and the recipient.
-
Better Prognosis: The organ usually begins functioning immediately and typically has a longer life expectancy.
-
Speed: It avoids the years of waiting often associated with the deceased donor list.
Considerations and Disadvantages:
-
Impact on the Donor: It requires a healthy individual to undergo major surgery.
-
Compatibility: Rigorous blood group and tissue typing (HLA) studies are essential.
-
Legal Process: If there is no family relationship, the altruistic bond or connection must be formally demonstrated before the corresponding ethics committees.
Waiting list Donation (Brain Death)
Advantages:
-
No Risk to Family: No loved one is required to undergo a surgical procedure.
Considerations and Disadvantages:
-
Waiting Time: A patient may remain on the list for several years depending on their blood group and priority level.
-
Uncertainty: The call for transplant can occur at any moment, requiring immediate availability.
-
Legal Restriction: In Mexico, access to this list is legally reserved for Mexican citizens or permanent residents. Allocation is managed based on each hospital's specific waiting list.
Evaluation and preparation (2-4 weeks)
Step 4
Includes laboratory testing, imaging, compatibility studies, and preoperative assessments.
Transplant surgery (1 week)
Step 5
Performed in a private hospital by a specialized transplant team.
Step 6
Recovery and follow-up (2-3 weeks)
Postoperative monitoring and long-term care guidance.
Step 3
Pathway selection
Patients WITH living related kidney donor
Living related donor must be a close family member, such as a husband, spouse, in-laws, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, cousin, niece, or nephew, adoptive parents or adopted children. If a related living donor is available, both donor and recipient undergo coordinated evaluation and surgical planning.
Patients WITHOUT living related kidney donor
Options for patients with a living non-related living and without living donors (donation after brain death waitlist) are available for eligible patients (Mexican nationals or permanent residents), evaluation for the national transplant waitlist is initiated. (see below Legal)
Step 2
Medical review (24 to 48 hours)
Our team determines transplant candidacy and the most appropriate pathway. We will contact you once our initial assessment is done and we will coordinate an online surgical consult.
Step 1
Patients provide medical information for initial evaluation. You cant contact us through the 'case review' section.
Submit your case
Step-by-step process
Legal and Ethical Framework
All transplant procedures are performed in strict accordance with Mexican law and ethical standards.
Related donor: A related donor is a person who has a verifiable family relationship with the recipient, either by blood, marriage, or civil relationship.
-
First-degree relatives: Parents, Children
-
Second-degree relatives: Siblings (brother/sister), Grandparents, Grandchildren
-
Third-degree relatives: Uncles / Aunts, Nieces / Nephews
-
Fourth-degree relatives: Cousins
Legal status in Mexico:
-
Mexican citizens
-
Temporary residents (residencia temporal)
-
Permanent residents (residencia permanente)
If you already have legal status in Mexico (passport, INE, birth certificate) please visit our website for nationals below
www.trasplanterenalmonterrey.com
YES (Related living kidney donor)
You are a strong candidate
-
This is the most reliable and fastest pathway (2-3 months)
-
Standard medical and ethical evaluation required
-
Tourists without residency status allowed
NO (Non-related living kidney donor)
You may still qualify, but additional approval is required
-
Requires transplant committee review
-
Donor and recepient must demonstrate:
-
Voluntary donation
-
No financial compensation
-
Legal residency in Mexico
-
Minimum 6 months continuous stay
-
Do you have a potential living related kidney donor?
I do not have a living kidney donor but wish to enter the waitlist
Do you have legal status in Mexico?
YES
You may qualify for the deceased donor waiting list. Wait times vary based on availability and blood type.
Requirements:
-
Legal residency in Mexico
-
Minimum 6 months continuous stay
-
Registration in national transplant system
NO
You are not currently eligible for transplant in Mexico
-
Deceased donor transplant requires legal residency
-
Living donor transplant requires a related donor