Inside look at kidney transplant (GRAPHIC IMAGES)

When a kidney fails to filter the body's blood, causing harmful wastes to build up, doctors may turn to a kidney transplant to help save a patient's life.

During a kidney transplant from a living donor, one team of surgeons will remove the kidney from the donor - while another prepares the recipient for placement of the donated kidney. Then a surgeon will take that healthy kidney and connect it to the artery and vein in the recipient's body, enabling it to filter blood flow and produce urine, doing the work of the two failed kidneys the transplant is replacing.

Keep clicking to see an inside look at this life-saving transplant surgery.

In this image, a kidney donor watches as a consent form is signed by a witness before a kidney transplant operation at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Dorry Segev speaks with a kidney donor and watches as a consent form is singed by a witness before a kidney transplant operation at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland. Not all kidney transplants come from living donors, and patients can be on a waiting list for a deceased donor's kidney.

Dr. Dorry Segev marks which kidney to remove on a kidney donor before a kidney transplant operation at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

A donor is wheeled to an operating room for a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

A donor rests outside an operating room before a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

A donor is prepared in an operating room before a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

A doctor prepares for a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland. Kidney transplants are turned to by doctors when other treatments for kidney failure fail. Some patients undergo dialysis to filter their kidneys as they wait for a transplant.

A anesthesiologist prepares a kidney donor in the operating room for a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland. The procedure to remove the donor's kidney is called a nephrectomy.

A anesthesiologist prepares a kidney donor in the operating room for a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

A nurse waits for a kidney transplant operation to begin at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Dorry Segev holds his hands after cleaning for a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Nurses help Dr. Dorry Segev prepare for a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland. There are nearly 93,000 people currently on a transplant waiting list for a kidney.

Nurses help Dr. Dorry Segev prepare for a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Dorry Segev performs arthroscopic surgery during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

A doctor draws medicine into a syringe during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Dorry Segev (C) performs arthroscopy during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

A medical student watches monitors as Dr. Dorry Segev (R) performs arthroscopic surgery during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

A medical student watches monitors as Dr. Dorry Segev performs arthroscopic surgery during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Doctors talk while arthroscopic surgery is seen on a screen in the operating room during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

A nurse enters the operating room during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Clamps, scissors and other surgical instruments are seen in the operating room during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Lactated Ringer's solution and sodium chloride IV bags are seen in the operating room during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Niraj Desai (L) accesses a recipient's kidney during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

A nurse is seen outside the operating room washing during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Niraj Desai waits for a kidney to be removed from a donor during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Dorry Segev (L) removes a kidney after performing arthroscopic surgery during a transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Dorry Segev carries a kidney after performing arthroscopic surgery during a transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Dorry Segev (L) and Dr. Niraj Desai (C) inspect a kidney after it was arthroscopicly removed during a transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Niraj Desai flushes a kidney after it was removed from a donor during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Niraj Desai looks down as he prepares a kidney for transparent during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Dorry Segev removes an arthroscopic camera after removing a kidney during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Dorry Segev sews an incision made for arthroscopic instruments after removing a kidney during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Dorry Segev washes after a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

A student and staff watch over a donor during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Niraj Desai carries a kidney to a recipient during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Niraj Desai (C) and others prepare a kidney for a recipient during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Niraj Desai (L) places a kidney into a recipient patient during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Niraj Desai (L) sews in a kidney to a recipient patient during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Niraj Desai orients a suture while he sews in a kidney to a recipient patient during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

A kidney is sewn into a recipient patient during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Niraj Desai (L) sews in a kidney to a recipient patient during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

As after any major surgery, patients may feel sore and groggy when they wake up. However, many transplant recipients report feeling much better immediately after surgery. Even if you wake up feeling great, you'll need to stay in the hospital for about a week to recover from surgery, and longer if you have any complications.

A member of the surgical team looks down at the patient during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland. Patients may need to take immunosupressant medications to prevent their immune system from rejecting the new kidney, which it sees as a foreign invader to the body.

A patient incision is stapled shut after having a donated kidney sewn in during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Patients can help prevent kidney rejection by taking your medicines and following your diet, but it's important to tell a doctor if a patient sees any signs of rejection-like fever or soreness in the area of the new kidney or a change in the amount of urine produced.

In this image, a white board with surgery info, including an inventory of what has been used near the patient, is seen in the operating room during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.