If your new kidney is coming from a living donor, everything will be planned and you will know exactly when your transplant is going to happen.
You will have time to pack your bag and will come to the hospital the day before your surgery. Take a look at this animation to find out what to expect right before and after you have your surgery.
Final tests before surgery
A week before your surgery, you will have to visit the hospital to have some final tests and blood work. These include an electrocardiogram (ECG), an echocardiogram (echo), cross-match blood work and a chest x-ray.
What you can eat or drink right before surgery
The timeline below tells you what you can eat or drink and when.
- Midnight, the night before your surgery: you must stop eating solid food, including chewing gum.
- From midnight until three hours before surgery: you can drink clear fluids such as water or juice.
- Less than three hours before surgery: you must stop all eating and drinking, even having water. Your stomach needs to be completely empty when you have your surgery.