The whole process of renal transplantation can be divided into two major parts:

The surgical removal of the kidney/kidneys from the donor: Nephrectomy
Placing the donated kidneys into the recipient: Implantation

On the day of the operation, the transplant surgeon and the transplant coordinator visit the donor and recipient. The donor will be prepared for surgery first, followed shortly by the recipient. In most hospitals, the procedures of removing a donor kidney and implanting it into a recipient occur at the same time, with two teams of surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses working in adjoining theatres. The operations take place in a specially designed twin theatre and are carefully planned with consultant transplant surgeons leading the two teams. After the kidney is removed, it is transferred to the adjoining theatre to be implanted.1