Kidneys perform the vital task of filtering waste products and excess fluids from the blood, maintaining the body’s chemical balance and eliminating toxins through urine. When both kidneys fail permanently, the only treatment options are lifelong dialysis or a kidney transplant. Among the two, kidney transplantation offers the best chance of leading a healthy and near-normal life.
However, one of the biggest challenges is the shortage of organ donors. Even when a willing donor is available, a mismatch in blood group often prevents transplantation. Fortunately, advances in transplant medicine have made ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation a safe and effective option, allowing patients to receive kidneys from donors with different blood groups.
Why kidney transplant is the preferred option
India witnesses a growing burden of chronic kidney disease, with nearly 2.2 lakh people requiring kidney transplantation every year. Unfortunately, only a small fraction receive a transplant because of the scarcity of donors. As a result, many patients remain dependent on dialysis, which, although life-saving, is associated with reduced quality of life and long-term complications.
A successful kidney transplant restores normal kidney function, frees patients from regular dialysis, improves survival, and enables them to return to work and daily activities.
How ABO-incompatible transplant works
In a conventional kidney transplant, the donor and recipient must have compatible blood groups. In an ABO-incompatible transplant, doctors first measure the level of antibodies in the recipient’s blood that could attack the donor kidney.
If antibody levels are high, they are reduced using a specialised blood purification procedure called plasmapheresis (plasma exchange). Some patients may also require immunotherapy to suppress antibody production. Once antibody levels reach a safe range, the kidney transplant is performed just like a routine transplant.
Following surgery, patients continue taking immunosuppressive medicines to prevent rejection. With proper monitoring and follow-up, outcomes of ABO-incompatible kidney transplants are now comparable to those of blood group-compatible transplants.
Remarkable advances in transplant medicine
Kidney transplantation has evolved significantly over the past few decades. Earlier, success rates were modest because of limited understanding of organ rejection and fewer treatment options. Today, with advanced immunosuppressive medications, better surgical techniques, improved tissue matching, and sophisticated laboratory testing, transplant success rates have improved dramatically.
These medical advances have transformed kidney transplantation into a reliable, life-saving treatment for patients with end-stage kidney disease.
Life after transplant
Most transplant recipients experience a significant improvement in their quality of life. Once the transplanted kidney functions well and the body accepts it, patients can resume work, travel, exercise, and lead active lives.
To ensure long-term success, transplant recipients should:
- Take immunosuppressive medicines exactly as prescribed.
- Attend regular follow-up visits and blood tests.
- Eat freshly prepared, hygienic food.
- Maintain good hydration and a healthy lifestyle.
- Avoid infections and seek medical advice promptly if fever or illness develops.
- Donor Selection is Equally Important
A healthy donor is essential for a successful transplant. Doctors assess not only the donor’s blood group but also kidney function, overall health, age, and the presence of conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or kidney disease. Only medically fit individuals are considered suitable donors to ensure the safety of both donor and recipient.
Creating awareness can save lives
Dr Gandhe Sridhar Consultant Nephrologist and Kidney Transplant Physician Apollo Hospitals Jubilee Hills stress that increasing awareness about organ donation is the need of the hour. Every organ donor has the potential to save multiple lives. With greater public participation in organ donation and wider availability of advanced procedures such as ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation, thousands of patients with kidney failure can be offered a new lease on life.
-Dr Gandhe Sridhar
Consultant Nephrologist and Kidney Transplant Physician
Apollo Hospitals
Jubilee Hills
Disclaimer: This content has not been generated, created or edited by Finance SC. Publisher:
Source link
Source link
