Kidney Transplant in India

Kidney Transplant in India is a major surgical procedure to put a healthy kidney into a person who’s both kidneys have lost the ability to function anymore.

There are 2 kidneys in a person located in the abdomen just under the ribs. Kidneys function as a complex funnel to filter out harmful chemicals, excess of minerals and salts along with water to maintain a very delicate balance. All the waste water and chemicals are excreted in the form of urine.

In the case of renal failure, kidneys lose this function and cause an accumulation of harmful chemicals, excess water, and salt imbalance. This in turn leads to multi-organ failure. End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is a condition when kidneys lose their ability to filter by about 90% and are not expected to recover.

End-stage kidney disease may be caused due to:

Uncontrolled prolonged or chronic Diabetes
Chronic & uncontrolled high blood pressure
Chronic glomerulonephritis is a condition leading to loss of all the tiny filters within the kidneys.
Polycystic kidney disease – a condition by birth

End-stage renal disease will need a system (Dialysis) to remove the accumulated waste perodically or a kidney transplant as a permanent measure.

Different types of Kidney Transplant in India

Deceased-donor kidney transplant
Living-donor kidney transplant
Preemptive kidney transplant

Kidney transplant is the treatment of choice for end-stage renal disease because of the following advantages over dialysis:

Better quality of life
Lower risk of death
Fewer dietary restrictions
Lower treatment cost

Certain patients may not be good candidate for kidney transplant:

Very elderly
Heart disease
Cancer
Mental illness
Alcohol or drug abuse

One transplanted kidney is enough to function in a renal failure patient.

Risks in kidney transplant

Kidney transplant is a better alternative to dialysis in case of advanced kidney disease and kidney failure, but few types of kidney disease may recur.

Risk of surgery itself

Rejection of the donor kidney

Side effects of anti-rejection or immunosuppressant medications.

Evaluation

Proper evaluation of the donor and recipient is done, which may include:

A thorough physical exam
Imaging studies, such as X-ray, MRI or CT scans
Blood tests
Psychological evaluation
And other necessary tests as determined by your doctor

Before the procedure

Finding a match

Tests are done to determine if the donor and the recipient with respect to:

Blood typing
Tissue typing
Crossmatch

A blood relative is most likely to be compatible but is not the rule. In that case an un-related matching donor need to be identified.

During the procedure

During the surgery:

Donor kidney is placed by making an incision on the side of the abdomen. Recipients own kidney is left in place unless it is complicated by infection, stones etc.
Blood vessels of the new kidney are connected to the ones in the lower part of your abdomen.
Ureter which carries urine is connected to your bladder.

After the procedure

After kidney transplant recipient need to:

Spend about a week in the hospital.
Have frequent check-ups during recovery.
Continue medications for rest of your life.

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FAQs

What is average life expectancy after kidney transplant?

Life expectancy is better after a kidney transplant than on regular dialysis. A living donor kidney functions up to 20 years and a kidney from a deceased person works up to 12 years on average.

How dangerous is a kidney transplant?

Kidney transplant carries the risk of

Bleeding or clot formation
Leakage from ureter
Infection
Rejection of the donated kidney
Disease can be transmitted with the donated kidney

How successful is a kidney transplant?

Success rate of 83% after 3 years of surgery is documented

How many kidney transplants can a person have?

Most of the kidney transplants are successful and last for many years. As kidney transplant increases survival and quality of life of most of the patients, they may require another transplant.

Can one live a normal life after kidney transplant?

Both the donor and recipient can live a normal life after kidney transplant, albeit recipient will need lifelong medications.

Is dialysis better than kidney transplant?

Kidney transplant is preferred over dialysis due to

Better quality of life
Lower risk of death
Fewer dietary restrictions
Lower treatment cost
Higher long-term survival

Why the bad kidney is not removed?

Failed kidneys are usually not removed as this will need extra time and higher surgical time means higher rate of complications such as bleeding, infection etc.

How many years the longest kidney transplant has lasted?

56 years is a record at present for a transplanted kidney which has last.

How much water a kidney transplant patient should drink?

A kidney transplant patient must drink 2 litres of water every day to keep himself well hydrated.

Is kidney transplant cheaper than dialysis?

Over cost of kidney transplant is cheaper than regular dialysis.

How long can you live on dialysis?

Life expectancy of patients on dialysis depends upon gen condition and other diseases of the patient. It is usually 5-10 years and shorter that kidney transplant patient.

Why is the left kidney preferred for donation?

Left kidney is preferred for transplant as it has longer renal vein which makes it easier to place and connect.

Is a kidney transplant worth it?

It is better and easier to go to hospital once and undergo kidney transplant than to go twice every week for the rest of life for dialysis. Dialysis cumulative cost is also more and mortality is more.

Does a kidney transplant shorten donors’ lifespan?

No, kidney donation doesn’t shorten lifespan but it carries higher risk of mortality during the initial 90 days.

Do kidney donors die younger?

According to one study 1 year and 12 year mortality rate compared between donor and normal population are similar.

What foods are hard on kidneys? What is renal diet?

Certain food items must be avoidedby renal failure or recipient patient. These are,

Cola
Avocado
Potato/sweet potato
apricot
Canned foods/packed food
Whole wheat breads
Banana
Brown rice
Oranges – whole or juice
Dairy products
Pickles
Processed meat
Tomatoes
Dates & raisins
Spinach
Chips

Does cranberry juice lower creatinine?

Not cranberry cocktail or concentrate but pure cranberry juice has shown to benefit people with reduced renal function. Cranberry juice is low in potassium and can be safely given to patients with End stage renal disease.