Life After Kidney Transplant in India: Essential Care Tips for a Healthy Recovery
You get another chance in life after a kidney transplant in India. Transplants can provide varied…
Kidney Transplant Surgery is a procedure in which a healthy kidney from a living or deceased donor is surgically implanted into a patient’s body. The success of kidney transplant surgery mainly depends on donor and recipient (patient) compatibility.
India has many world-class JCI-accredited hospitals carrying out cost-effective kidney transplant programs, including robotics which increases the chances of successful kidney transplants. Furthermore, the Indian Government has implemented regulations and laws for ethical Kidney Transplants in India, providing a sense of safety to the patient and donor.
Kidney Transplant in India is governed by The Transplantation of Human Organs Act of 1994. It aims to promote the humanitarian benefits of organ transplantation while preventing exploitation and abuse. Therefore a patient has to submit several documents to the authorization committee set up by Govt of India as a part of the eligibility criteria. These include medical and diagnostic tests of the patient as well as for the donor.
Apart from this, the patient and the donor must provide proof of relation, identity, address, income, and age in the form of a Government-issued ID, like a passport. You will also have to submit a no-objection certificate from the donor’s spouse or close relative, with consent signed by you and the donor.
We advise you to check with the hospital for additional or specific document requirements before traveling to India, to ensure smooth and successful kidney transplant procedure. The Authorization Committee may not grant permission to carry out kidney transplant surgery in case of any discrepancy observed in your documents
Kidney transplantation in a donor can be performed in three ways:
In the case of conventional open surgery, the surgeon makes a large incision in the lower abdomen of the donor to access the kidney.
Robotic-assisted kidney transplantation is a precise, minimally invasive surgery that uses robotic technology to assist the surgeon in performing the transplant. During the process, the surgeon makes a small incision of about 7 to 10 cm to remove the kidney from the donor.
One of the robotic arms holds a high-magnification 3D camera which is inserted into the abdomen through one of the keyholes and provides a high-definition, magnified (12×), 3D view of the surgical site. The other mechanical arms are equipped with surgical instruments designed to mimic the movement of the human hands and wrists.
Once the kidney is removed from the donor, the surgeon will transplant it into the recipient. Depending upon its condition, the surgeon may or may not remove the existing kidney.
The surgeon controls the robotic instruments from a console, which allows for greater flexibility compared to traditional open surgery. The robotic procedure has various advantages over traditional surgery. But robotic kidney transplantation also has limitations like higher cost, the need for specially trained surgeons, and, most notably, the surgery is unsuitable for all patients.
Limitations of Robotic Kidney Transplant
ABO incompatible kidney transplant
When the recipient and the donor have different blood groups, this procedure is necessary. Previously, the only option was to find a compatible match donor because the presence of blood antibodies that reacted with the donor’s blood type would cause the transplant to be rejected. However, the availability of ABO incompatible kidney transplants between specific receivers and living donors has resulted in shorter waiting times for many patients due to medical advancements.
Patients receiving an ABO incompatible kidney transplant get pre- and post-transplant medical care to lower the risk of rejection and guarantee a successful transplant.
Plasmapheresis and plasma exchange prevents the body from attacking the transplanted kidney by removing harmful antibodies and other chemicals from the blood plasma. Thus, ensuring proper functioning of the transplanted kidney.
The body’s immune system cannot reject a donated kidney if anti-rejection medicine is used. The new kidney can operate normally because these medications suppress the immune system, which stops it from attacking the transplanted organ. Anti-rejection medicine must be adequately managed for a kidney transplant to be effective.
Hospital Name | Cost in USD | Package Includes | Package Excludes |
Indraprastha Apollo Hospital
(JCI Accredited ) |
16500 | Hospital & Liver ICU stay,
Surgery of donor and recipient, OPD & IPD based investigations
|
Complications
Stay more than limit, Visit of any other Speciality doctor Any other service not specified in the inclusion DNA test DJ stent removal after transplant |
Max Hospital
(JCI Accredited ) |
13500 | Hospital & Liver ICU stay,
Surgery of donor and recipient, OPD & IPD based investigations Dialysis till transplant occurs or maximum 10 in numbers All donor and recipient investigations, One Anti Rejection injection. |
Do
|
BLK Hospital
(JCI Accredited ) |
13500 | Do | Do |
Fortis Hospital
(JCI Accredited ) |
13500 | Do | Do |
Max Hospital, Patpatganj (NABH Accrediated ) | 12000 | Hospital & Liver ICU stay,
Surgery of donor and recipient, OPD & IPD based investigations Dialysis till transplant occurs or maximum 11 in numbers All donor and recipient investigations, Two Anti Rejection injection. DJ Stent removal post transplant |
Complications
Stay more than limit, Visit of any other Speciality doctor Any other service not specified in the inclusion DNA test |
ABO – INCOMPATIBLE (unmatched blood groups ) Kidney Transplant in India will cost you additional 5000-1000 USD depending upon hospital policy, number of plasma exchanges needed which depends on your antibody titer level.
DJ stent is to be removed after a month post-kidney transplantation, and it may cost another 300$.
Robotic kidney transplant costs around 17000 USD in India at Max Healthcare.
Stay in hospital
Patient will need to stay in the hospital for 10 days after surgery.
Donor stay will be 5 days
Stay in India
Due to the nature of the surgery, you will need to stay in India for a minimum of 2 months.
Success rate
India boasts a 94% success rate for this procedure.
Best Kidney Transplant Doctors in India
Dr. Anant Kumar, Chairman of Uro-Oncology, Robotic and Kidney Transplantation at Max Hospital Saket New Delhi.
Dr Sandeep Guleria, Senior Consultant at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi
Dr. Sunil Prakash, Senior Director & HOD – Nephrology, Kidney Transplant, BLK-Max Hospital, Gurgaon
Dr. Rajesh Ahlawat, Chairman Urology & Kidney Transplant Unit at Medanta the Medicity , Gurugram
Dr. Sanjay Gogoi, Head of Department – Urology at Manipal Hospitals (New Delhi),
Dr Pradeep Bansal, Head of Urology & Renal Transplant in Fortis Hospital
Dr. Aditya Pradhan, Director & HOD of Urology, Uro-Oncology & Renal transplant department at Venkateshwar Hospital
Best Kidney Transplant Hospitals in India