Why can a kidney transplant operation be canceled when the recipient has an infection?

A kidney transplant operation is canceled if the recipient has an active infection because of the significant risk that the infection could damage the donor organ or further impair the patient's overall health.1

This precaution is essential because the transplant process requires the use of immunosuppressive drugs to prevent the body from rejecting the new organ. These medications work by depressing the immune system, which inherently lowers the patient's resistance to infection. Because the patient will be highly susceptible to pathogens post-surgery, entering the procedure with an existing infection poses a severe threat to both the success of the graft and the patient's recovery.21