How do kidney transplants work? - Alexander H. Toledo
184,353 Views
461 Questions Answered
TEDEd Animation
Let’s Begin…
In 1954, Joseph Murray attempted a type of kidney swap that no doctor had tried before. The surgery was a success, and the patient would go on to live with the transplanted organ thanks to one key factor: it came from his identical twin. 70 years later, nearly 100,000 kidneys are transplanted annually in the US alone. So how does this surgery work today? Alexander H. Toledo explains the procedure.
Because people can live safe and healthy lives with one kidney, kidney donation is a relatively low risk surgery. What situation in your own life (if any) would cause you to consider kidney donation?
Sign in to answer questionAbout TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Educator Alexander H. Toledo
- Director Biljana Labović
- Narrator Addison Anderson
- Animator Mengxin Li
- Art Director Mengxin Li
- Sound Designer Weston Fonger
- Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
- Produced by Abdallah Ewis
- Editorial Producer Shannon Odell
- Script Editor Nidhi Upadhyaya
- Fact-Checker Charles Wallace
