Best Kidney Transplant Surgery in India

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.

Legal Documentation required before Kidney Transplantation

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

Donor Selection Criteria:

• The donor’s age should be between 18 and 55 years.
• He should be free of any medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and viral hepatitis (B or C).
• The donor’s blood type should ideally be the same as the recipient’s (ABO compatible)
• To reduce the risk of transplant rejection, the donor and recipient should have a good Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibody tissue match.
• The donor must be a close relative of the patient, preferably a blood relative.

Investigations of Kidney Transplant Donor:

• Hepatitis B & C
• HIV I & II
• CBC, LFT, KFT and blood group,
• Cross-matching in case of ABO compatible
• Anti – ABO antibody Titer in case of ABO-incompatible
• Random blood sugar, HBa1C
• USG Whole abdomen
• Urine Routine & Microscopic
• Psychological evaluation and assessment
• Evaluation of the donor’s medical history

The procedure of a Kidney Transplantation  

Kidney transplantation in a donor can be performed in three ways:

• Traditional open surgery
• Laparoscopic surgery or
• Minimally invasive robotic kidney transplant surgery.

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

1. Cost
2. It is time taking procedure hence chronic debilitated patients are not a candidate for this procedure

 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.

Role of anti-rejection medicine after transplant

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.

Factors Affecting the Cost Of Kidney Transplant in India

A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure in which a healthy kidney is removed from a healthy or deceased person and is transplanted into the person whose kidneys have stopped functioning. The procedure is typically considered when other treatment options like dialysis are not working.

Here are the factors that affect the cost of kidney transplants in India: 

Type of Transplant: A living donor transplant is more expensive as compared to a deceased donor transplant because it involves the cost of surgery for both the donor and the recipient. 

Procedure Type – Robotic assisted kidney transplant and laparoscopic donor surgery is more expensive than traditional kidney transplant surgery. 

ABO Incompatible Transplant : The availability of ABO incompatible kidney transplants has resulted in shorter waiting times for many patients due to medical advancements. Plasma exchange prevents the body from attacking the transplanted kidney by removing harmful antibodies and other chemicals from the blood plasma. Due to plasma exchanges, the transplant procedure becomes costly. 

Type of Hospital you choose: Hospital: The cost of kidney transplant  in India increases if: 

• The hospital is JCI-accredited
• The hospital has advanced super speciality kidney transplant facilities
• The brand image of the hospital (Indraprastha Apollo, Fortis Hospital, etc.) 

Hospital Stay Period and Room Category: Patients requiring longer or a higher room category must pay more for the treatment. ICU charges also add to the cost. 

Age of the patient: Older patients require more medical care and additional tests before and after the surgery. Thus, their treatment cost is high. 

Organ Transportation: It includes retrieval and transportation of the kidney ( if Applicable) 

Surgeon Fee: The cost of a kidney transplant in India greatly depends on the surgeon’s fees, too. The surgeon’s fee depends on the following: 

• Reputation and skill of the surgeon
• The surgeon is affiliated with reputable hospitals and medical institutions known for their expertise in kidney transplant
• No. of successful procedures performed 
• International education and training 

Medical Evaluation: Before the transplant surgery, the donor and the recipient must undergo a series of medical tests, evaluations and consultations. This adds to the overall cost of the surgery. Lab Tests like X-Ray, ECG, and other tests add to the cost. 

Donor Investigations: The cost of a kidney transplant in India also includes the donor’s medical care donors, medical testing, hospital stay, travel expenses, etc. 

Immunotherapy and Anti-Rejection Medicines: After the transplant, you have to take immunosuppressant medicines for the rest of your life. The cost of these medicines will depend on the treatment’s type, dosage and duration. 

Complications During the Treatment: In some cases of kidney transplant, additional complications may arise, which may need further surgeries. This will increase the overall cost of the surgery. 

Other Expenses: Additional costs due to the presence of any other health condition

Kidney Health on a Budget: Service Cost

Cost of ABO Compatible Kidney Transplant in India

Hospital NameCost in USD Package Includes Package Excludes

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 Vijaya Rajkumari, Senior Consultant Surgeon, Vascular Access, Laparoscopy and Kidney Transplantation 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

• Max Super Specialty Hospital Saket New Delhi.
• Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi
• BLK-Max Hospital, Gurgaon
• Medanta the Medicity , Gurugram
• Manipal Hospitals (New Delhi),
• Fortis Hospital
• Venkateshwar Hospital

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