The kidney was the first vital organ to be transplanted and the progen
itor of knowledge of transplant immunology and psychology. With dialys
is, it has heralded a new phase of medicine in which organs necessary
for life can be replaced by transplanted ones or by artificial means.
Many factors play a role in the decision to donate a kidney. Psychiatr
ic complications of renal transplantation include those arising as a r
esult of the use of immunosuppressants, anxiety, and sexual dysfunctio
ns. Treatment should address the identifications of patients who are p
rone for psychological complications, the use of psychotropic medicati
ons, and the use of behavioral techniques for sexual dysfunction.