MBBS, MD-Medicine, DNB-Nephrology, ISN-ANIO CNC (USA)
Kidney Transplant is a highly advanced form of surgical treatment option for patients of end stage renal disease in which a kidney from either a living or dead donor is extracted and transplanted in the recipient. Kidney transplant over the years has become a standardized and successful treatment option for such patients.
Whenever a patient lands up in end stage kidney disease he/she has the option of dialysis (haemodialysis or water dialysis) or kidney transplantation (living or dead donor). Kidney transplant remains the preferred treatment option for such patients as the quality of life as well as longevity is better with transplantation.
However the availability of suitable donor remains the biggest challenge for kidney transplantation. In our country most of the transplants are with living donors as the deceased donor program is not well developed in most states of our country. Living donors are usually family donors as the laws are very strict in not allowing unrelated donors to donate because of the risk of organ trafficking and exploitation of the socially disadvantaged.
Living donors can be ABO blood group compatible or incompatible. ABO incompatible transplants have to undergo a process called desensitization in which auto antibodies are removed from the recipient's serum so that an ABO incompatible kidney can be transplanted. ABO incompatible transplants are done only at limited centers in our country.
In the state of West Bengal only Kolkata has the facility of kidney transplantation with current estimates suggesting that around 30% of the transplantation done are for patients from North Bengal and adjoining districts. There is strong will and support to start kidney transplantation in Siliguri and with focussed efforts this should soon become a reality.
