Kidney Transplantation

Kidney transplantation is the transfer of a healthy kidney from one individual (donor) to another (recipient) through a specialized surgery. It is one of the best treatment options for patients with kidney failure. The first successful transplant was a kidney transplantation performed between identical twins by Dr. Joseph Murray and his colleagues. A number of advances such as the development of immunosuppressive agents (drugs that suppress the immune system) and improvement in the surgical techniques have resulted in a notable increase in the quality of life of the patients who have received renal transplants and a reduction in the associated mortality and morbidity over the past 10 years.

Causes of Renal failure

  1. Diabetes
  2. Hypertension
  3. Chronic glomerulonephritis - inflammation of the microscopic structure of kidney
  4. Polycystic kidney disease - hereditary kidney disease in which the entire kidney is filled with cysts
  5. Acquired diseases of the genitourinary system
  6. Congenital anomalies related to the urinary system


Types of Donors

  1. Living Related Donors

  2. Living unrelated donors

  3. Cadaver donors

Facts For Transplant Recipients

  1. A transplant is a precious gift, which will give you a new lease of life.

  2. Under no circumstance should you stop your ANTI-REJECTION TABLETS (CYCLOSPORIN / PREDNISOLONE AND AZATHIOPRINE) or any other combination of drugs.

  3. If drug cost is a major factor, discuss this with your Kidney specialist. He may be able to help you by changing the drugs or altering its dose.

  4. You are more prone to infections – Don’t take episodes of fever lightly, immediately report this to your Kidney Specialist.

  5. You can lead as normal life as your next-door neighbor without the need for fluid or dietary restrictions.

  6. Your best friend is your KIDNEY SPECIALIST and you should always consult him for any problems without the slightest hesitation.

FAQS

1. Can I purchase Kidney from a Donor?

No, Any kind of commercial dealing in human organs is illegal and a punishable offence under the Transplantation of Human Organ Act. The act states: “Any person who renders his services to or any hospital and who, for purpose of transplantation, conducts, associates with, or helps in any way manner in, the removal of any human organ without authority, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years and fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees.

2. Why is it better to have a kidney donor who is a near relative or a family member?

A kidney from a family member is usually a better match. The tissue match is usually better and hence episodes of rejection of the kidney are much less. The long-term results are also marginally better from a tissue-matched kidney. It also means that it greatly reduces the length of wait for transplant operation. If you do not have a near relative or the relative is not willing to donate the kidney then you can get enlisted on the cadaver (brain dead) programme of the hospitals offering such a programme.

3. What are the risks in donating a kidney?

If a person is healthy and has two normally functioning kidneys then the risks in donating one kidney are very minimum. Some of us are born with one kidney and live a perfectly healthy life. In the same way a donor can lead a healthy life after donation. However the donor will have some amount of pain after the operation and will be left with a scar both of which subsides with time. The pain goes away after a month or so and the scar usually starts fading away with time.

4. What precautions should a kidney donor take?

After kidney donation the donor should avoid lifting heavy weights and physical exercises for 6 weeks to 3 months. The kidney donor should avoid any contact sports like football, wrestling and boxing to minimize the risk of damaging the functioning kidney. They should also have their ‘Blood Pressure’ checked at least once a year.

5. Will the transplanted kidney start working immediately after the operation?

In majority of the living related kidney operation, yes, it will start functioning immediately after the operation. However in case of the kidney from a brain dead donor, it sometimes will initially work sluggishly and it can take anything from 5 days to 6 weeks to start functioning normally.