How is it done?

Doctors explore for a close relative or friend who is prepared to donate a kidney. Blood tests decide the suitability of the donor. To check that a kidney is being donated only out of love and affection for the patient, a hospital committee thoroughly checks the genuineness of the donor. Alternatively kidneys may be taken from brain dead patients.

Surgery

Two surgeons operate on the donor and recipient in two operating rooms next to each other simultaneously. The donor’s kidney is implanted in the recipient. Afterwards the patient and donor are placed in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU).

Isolation

The patient who received the kidney is kept in an isolation room. Medicines are given to prevent body’s reaction against the newly transplanted kidneys. This is known as immunosuppression procedure.

Cadaver Kidney

It refers to the process of taking the kidney of a brain dead patient whose heart is still beating and whose kidneys are still getting adequate blood supply. If a severely ill person has previously declared that his kidneys may be used for transplantation, he or she must be treated so as to maintain the kidneys in good condition. The process will begin only after two neurologists and a Civil Surgeon certifies the person to be brain dead.

Benefits

Kidneys taken from living donors start working immediately. Kidneys from cadavers may take some time to start working. Lakhs of people have benefited and lived happy dialysis free after their renal transplants.

Risks

Higher the precautions, lower is the morbidity. Some of the common problems faced by kidney transplant recipients are infection, graft failure, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular diseases, Diabetes Mellitus, Osteoporosis, and Cancer.

Follow Up

A patient with a kidney transplant must be treated with great care lifelong. Even ordinary symptoms like fever must be thoroughly investigated. Whenever kidney transplant patients take treatment for any disease; the date of transplant must be informed to the treating doctor.

Patient’s Duties

The kidney recipient is a special person. Even trivial illnesses require expert help from nephrologists. The symptoms of medical problems are often subtle. Patients must never miss their oral immunosuppressant medications.

Contact Shalby Hospitals for Renal Transplant in India.