Pre-dialysis transplant involves patients undergoing kidney transplant before dialysis is necessary, and almost always with a living donor. The progression of kidney disease is fairly predictable, making it easier for the transplant team to begin discussing dialysis and transplant with patients long before either treatment is crucial.
Living donors can help pre-dialysis transplant patients avoid life-altering dialysis treatment schedules. These transplant patients actually tend to do better than those who undergo transplants after months or years of dialysis.
