What are Kidney’s and what is Kidney Transplantation?

What are Kidney’s and what is Kidney Transplantation?

The kidneys' function is to filter the blood. All the blood in our bodies passes through the kidneys several times a day. The kidneys remove wastes, control the body's fluid balance, and regulate the balance of electrolytes. Kidneys, when affected, loses out the potential to filter the blood and thus the life of an individual is affected.

Kidney transplantation, also known as the renal transplant, is a complex procedure that involves transplant of a single healthy kidney in the body of the patient, in place of one or both defective kidneys. The kidney plays a vital role in the human body. There paired organs carry out the filtration process and help with the excretion of all the waste material and toxins from the body.

When the function of these organs is impaired in the body, no filtration takes place. As a result, all the toxins, waste material and fluids start to accumulate in the body. This, in turn, leads to kidney failure, and kidney transplant is conducted.

Why is Kidney Transplant performed?

In the case of kidney failure, kidney transplantation is done. Because kidney failure badly impacts the person health as the process of purification of blood gets stopped. The permanent cure for it is Kidney Transplantation i.e. replacing the damaged Kidney with a new healthy one.

People also go for dialysis. Dialysis is a treatment that filters and purifies the blood using a machine. This helps keep your body in balance when the kidneys can’t do their job. If a person has or has not undergone dialysis, both are eligible for kidney transplantation.

What is done before surgery?

Diagnosing is the first step before any surgery or action. Certain blood tests, heart tests are done to check the overall health status. Also, the donor, if living may also be screened to check is he/she eligible to donate a kidney.

Careful evaluation is needed to understand and deal with any special risks. You may be asked to do some things that can lessen certain risks and improve the chances of a successful transplant. E.g. you may be asked to quit drinking and smoking and also to lose weight.

The most important part is the arrangement of the kidney. The donated kidney can be arranged either from someone from close family members, spouse, relatives or friends. The second category includes deceased donors, they are the people who have given their permission to use their organs for donation purpose after their death.

How is Kidney Transplant performed?

Patients are first given general anaesthesia before the actual procedure to keep them in a resting state. Next, an incision is made into the abdominal area to place the new kidney in the abdomen. The added kidney is then connected to the vein and artery in the pelvis region.

Typically, the non-functional kidney is left in its original position. They are removed only if they cause any complication, such as infection or hypertension. The kidney transplant typically lasts for about 3 to 4 hours.

Why Kidney Transplant in India?

The major reason why people travel to India is the cost of Kidney transplantation operation in India. India boasts its high quality of medical treatment that can be available at an extremely affordable cost. India is home to numerous highly skilled medical experts who are trained and educated from abroad and have great experience in handling all sought of emergencies. Moreover, these doctors put their patients before their personal monetary gain and this is the reason why patients can seek high-quality treatment at a cheaper cost as compared to other Western countries.

Who can undergo Kidney Transplant Surgery?

In many cases, people who are older or have other health conditions like diabetes can still have successful kidney transplants. But the patients with hepatitis, reduced heart-lung function and life-threatening medical conditions such as infections, diseases related to the heart, lung or liver cannot undergo kidney transplantation.

What are the best hospital for Kidney Transplantation in India?

India is considered as one of the best destination for various treatment with excellent success rate. Some of the best Kidney Transplant hospitals in India are:

1. Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals
2. Fortis Memorial Research Institute
3. Artemis Hospital
4. Medanta – The Medicity
5. Aster Medicity

What happens after Kidney Transplantation?

Once you are home from the hospital, the most important work is to follow-up. It is important that the donated kidney is suiting person’s body and functioning well.

For your transplant to be successful, you will have regular check-ups, especially during the first year. At first, you may need blood tests several times a week. After that, you’ll need fewer check-ups, but enough to make sure that your kidney is working well and that you have the right amount of anti-rejection medication in your body.

Lyfboat connects patients and their families with state of the art hospitals and the most reputable doctors. We go beyond just the initial connection though.