Swapping and saving

Six kidney patients get new lease of life as Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre sets record with first non-simultaneous domino kidney swap transplants under one roof in a week.

In a series of surgeries spaced over a week, doctors at Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC) performed six kidney swaps as part of a domino kidney transplant process involving six families. According to the centre, this is the first time six non-simultaneous kidney swaps have been performed in the country. All the patients are reportedly responding well to the transplants.

Interestingly, the donor-recipient sets came from two Muslim families and four Hindu families, confirming the belief that humanity and life transcends boundaries of religion.

RECIPIENT WAITS ON AS CADAVER LIVER `WASTED' DUE TO RED-TAPE DELAY

 The liver of a 28-year-old brain-dead patient could not be harvested in time for a transplant as organ authorisation committee asks pvt city hospital to seek approval from IKDRC; kidney hospital asserts it has no power to grant such permission

Karthik Patel, 33, needed a new liver and had been on the waiting list for several months. Navratri brought hope in the form of a 28-year-old brain dead patient who turned out to be a match. However, Karthik never received the life-changing organ transplant. Reason: The organ authorisation committee denied the private hospital's request to conduct the transplant without permission from the Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre. Interestingly, IKDRC denies having the power to give permission to any private hospital to go ahead with a liver transplant.