HEALTH SERVICES

Renal Transplant

In Vydehi Hospital the Centre of Nephrology and Urology has a sizeable and comprehensive renal transplant program, having performed both autologous and cadaveric transplants. Vydehi hospital is authorized by goverment of Karnataka to conduct renal transplant. A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure in which a kidney is removed from one person (donor) and placed into the body of a person suffering from renal failure (recipient), in whom the transplanted kidney can perform all the functions which the patient's own kidneys are not able to perform.

Necessary of kidney transplantation

When a person has 'RENAL FAILURE', the kidneys do not properly filter harmful waste products; as a result, excess wastes and chemicals start to accumulate in the blood. When this happens, a dangerous accumulation of waste products can occur, causing a condition known as uremia.

Patients with irreversible renal failure have two options of treatment:

• Dialysis, where the waste products from the blood are removed artificially.
• Kidney transplantation

Any patient whose own kidneys have failed permanently is a potential candidate for a kidney transplant. There are several factors in each individual case, which determine whether a kidney transplant or lifelong dialysis is the better form of treatment for that patient. These factors include age, availability of family donors and the presence of antibodies in the patients (this increases the risk of kidney failure after transplantation). The health factors which increase the risk of the transplant operation are mainly heart disease, cancer or infection.

Advantages of kidney transplantation over dialysis There is is no dependence on the machine thrice a week for the rest of one's life A woman may be able to conceive a child after having a successful transplant. (Women on dialysis usually do not ovulate and therefore are unable to become pregnant.) The physical sense of well-being is so much better that one can go back to work in a style similar to that before the illness There are hardly any restrictions in the diet and fluid intake after a successful transplant. Men who may be having sexual problems such as inability to maintain an erection may find this problem eliminated once they receive a successful transplant.