PSYCHOLOGICAL-ASPECTS OF RENAL-TRANSPLANTATION

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.