Assessment of the potential transplant recipient

Renal transplantation transforms life expectancy in patients with end-stage renal disease (Fig. 66.1). All patients who are considered for renal transplantation require rigorous preoperative assessment in order to ensure their fitness to undergo surgery under general anaesthesia and to optimise the therapeutic impact of a scarce and precious resource. This chapter will review the practical aspects of delivering such an assessment with reference to available evidence and guidelines [1, 2].