1st Kidney Transplant through Organ Donation conducted at Fortis Hospital Noida
NOIDA ROHIT SHARMA
Fortis Hospital Noida conducted the first kidney transplant consequent to receiving a kidney from a brain dead patient from another hospital. The recipient of the kidney retrieved from the deceased donor is a 39 year old who had been on dialysis since the past two years. The surgical team was led by Dr. Manoj Singhal, Director, Department of Nephrology, and Dr. Dushyant Nadar, Additional Director & Coordinator, Urology and Kidney Transplantation. The recipient of the kidney was undergoing dialysis and had been suffering from damaged kidneys since the past two years. She had been under the care of Dr. Manoj Singhal, Director – Nephrology. She had been identified as a candidate for kidney transplant but had no donor from within her family. The closest relative, her husband, was identified as not in a medical condition to donate the organ as he is diabetic. The patient was lucky to get a blood match in the deceased donor and the surgery was easier due to the match. The Noida traffic police ensured smooth passage from the donor Hospital to Fortis Hospital, Noida. The ambulance carrying the donor kidney left the Hospital to cover a distance of 16 kilometers and reach Fortis Hospital, Noida in a record time of 17 minutes. The donor kidney was transferred to the operation theatre immediately and the transplant procedure commenced. Dr. Dushyant Nadar, Additional Director & Coordinator, Fortis Hospital Noida, said, “The patient was on the list of transplants. The fact that this organ transplant can be done from a live donor and she could not get a kidney from any related person was a demotivating matter for her. When we got a call from the NOTTO with a kidney for transplant, the family was elated and thankful that the patient was lucky to be on the list. The surgery has been conducted following the mandatory protocol and we hope the patient will recover quickly.” Gagan Sehgal, Zonal Director, Fortis Hospital Noida said, “This is the first time in the history of Fortis Hospital Noida that we have been contacted by the NOTTO (National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization) for a kidney available from a deceased patient for a transplant. The kidney coming from the donor hospital for a patient registered with us in the list of the transplant is a very progressive step in U.P. We hope that this sets an example for more organ donations and creates increased awareness.” In India approximately 200,000 new patients develop advanced kidney failure every year. Not only is it debilitating for the patient but the financial toll on the patient and his family is huge. Kidney transplant is the treatment of choice for advanced disease as it removes dependence on dialysis and the patient becomes fit enough to resume life normally. As per an estimate, approximately 210,000 patients are waiting for transplantation, however only 6000 patients are able to get kidney transplantation every year. Despite the Human Organ Transplant Act since 1994, the cadaver donor transplant is still in infancy in India. The cadaver donation rate varies from 0.26 per million populations to maximum of 1 per million population in few states. Even for a living donor transplant, approximately one third patients do not have a blood group compatible donor in the family. In the face of such blood group mismatch, one of the best options is a swap kidney method.
