Getting a kidney transplant can be the difference between life and death for many patients. Yet even when patients finally get a much needed kidney, their body may reject the new organ.

Surgical, anesthetic and hospital expertise are improving everyday. Because more high risk surgeries are performed in sophisticated, state of the art institutions, surgery death rates have dropped in the past 10 years.

There has been mounting concern that surgeon fatigue has been leading to dangerous conditions for transplant patients. This was especially true of late night transplants if that is when a donor organ is available. New research from John Hopkins University School of Medicine suggests it's simply not the case.

Just because something is more expensive, doesn't mean it's better. This may be the case when you're buying a car, or even when doctors are deciding which drug to prescribe for you.

For many men, dealing with an enlarged prostate just means waiting it out. However, others may need surgery to avoid the most harmful effects of an enlarged prostate, including kidney damage. Now, research shows that some men aren't getting surgery when they need it.

Ron Springs, former running back for the Dallas Cowboys, died last Thursday from a heart attack, according to the Cowboys website. He was 54 years old.

Doctors have noticed that kidneys taken from some African-American donors for transplant don't last as long as kidneys from other donors. However, race may not have much to do with the failure of these organs.

Before someone goes through heart surgery doctors need to evaluate the heart's ability to pump blood. The test performed can be harmful to patients' kidneys. However, researchers found a way that may reduce the risk of kidney damage.

Doctors sometimes use X-ray machines to see if your heart is healthy. A type of dye has to be fed into patients' blood in order for these machines to see the inside of the heart. This dye can cause kidney problems for both men and women.

Some obese people take weight-loss drugs to help deal with their health problem. One of these drugs, orlistat, may be harmful.  The drug already carries a black box warning for liver damage, which the FDA added last year.