It is not unusual for kidney recipients to have more than one transplant, a renal expert says, as former rugby superstar Jonah Lomu contemplates another operation.
Lomu is on daily dialysis in Auckland City Hospital, where staff are under strict instructions to keep his condition private.
The giant former winger has only spoken to New Zealand Women's Weekly, saying his kidney is failing and there is only a slim chance it will revive.
After suffering kidney problems at the end of his All Black playing career, he was given a kidney seven years ago by his friend, ZM radio show host Grant Kereama.
Kereama is "not interested" in making any comment now, a station spokesman says.
Ian Dittmer, transplant physician and clinical director on the renal unit at Auckland Hospital, cannot talk specifically about Lomu's case, but told NZ Newswire a transplanted kidney from a live donor could be expected to last 20 years.
There were a number of reasons a kidney could be rejected after a period, such as the person becoming ill or their diet interfering with medicine, he said.
"Sometimes the disease that caused the original kidney failure might come back. Sometimes they just wear out."
It was reasonably common for people to have a second kidney transplant, Dr Dittmer said.
One recipient, many years ago, had lived through five transplants before dying of an unrelated condition.
Lomu's wife Nadene has offered to donate one of her own kidneys if she can.
Dr Dittmer said a kidney donor and recipient both faced a battery of tests to ensure a transplant was successful.
Once a suitable transplant donor was identified the operation could be done within three months.
There was not strictly a waiting list, but about 500 to 600 people on dialysis were waiting for a suitable donor, he said.
Eighty transplant operations were carried out each year and the average waiting period was five years.
NZN