History of kidney transplantation

The article is devoted to the history of kidney transplantation as a medical technology, covering three key stages: the period of awareness, formation, and establishment. The work thoroughly examines the evolution of understanding kidney function, starting from ancient times, and the development of renal replacement therapies, including dialysis and early transplantation experiments. Special attention is paid to the contributions of scientists and surgeons such as Emerich Ullmann, Alexis Carrel, Yuriy Voronoy, and Joseph Murray in developing surgical techniques and overcoming immunological barriers. Key achievements in organ preservation, tissue immunology, and immunosuppression, which made successful allotransplantations possible, are described. The history of transplantology in Russia is separately highlighted, including the early experiments of V.P. Demikhov and successful clinical operations under the guidance of B.V. Petrovsky. The article emphasizes that modern kidney transplantation is the result of centuries of efforts by numerous researchers whose work laid the foundation for saving thousands of lives.