What is the life expectancy of someone who has had a kidney transplant?

Other med. problems?: The longevity of a kidney transplant is usually about 10-15 years depending on the source and quality of the donor organ (living donor kidneys tend to last longer). Patient life expectancy generally depends on other medical issues such as heart disease, diabetes, vascular disease or development of cancers. In fact, most recipients will die with a functioning kidney, not because of kidney failure.