Safe kidney donation, transplant among older patients executed in Delhi

New Delhi [India], Mar. 17 : Contradicting to the perception that kidney transplant is not recommended for elderly, a prestigious institute in Delhi has set an outstanding example by establishing safe kidney donation and transplant among older patients.

Doctors at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute (FEHI) recently showcased some exceptional cases of kidney transplant surgeries where patients of advanced ages have both donors as well as recipients.

This remarkable initiative has been made possible by the skills demonstrated by Dr Rajesh Ahlawat and Dr.

Vijay Kher of Fortis Escorts Kidney and Urology Institute (FEKUI), FEHI and their team. The surgery was conducted among three senior citizens, on 65 year-old female donor and the recipient was a 73 year-old male.

The third patient was 78 year-old male recipient. This is also a unique and sterling example to further the cause of organ donation in the country. "Common perception is that kidney transplant is not recommended for elderly patients due to poor patient and graft survival and better life expectancy with dialysis.

However, with advanced transplantation technology, medical expertise, accurate selection and preparation of the patients, the FEHI team has successfully overcome these challenges," said Dr.

Rajesh Ahlawat, Chairman, Urology (and) Renal Transplantation, FEKUI. "Our team of outstanding urologists and nephrologists ensures to deliver the highest level of patient care that can be provided, making sure that transplant procedures are executed immaculately.

We also house state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, which help us perform our surgeries efficiently and administer quality patient care," Ahlawat explained.

"We have a patient-centric approach that ensures that any concern on the part of the patient is addressed through collaborative understanding of the procedure," said Dr Vijay Kher, Chairman, Nephrology (and) Renal Transplant Medicine, FEKUI.

"Our team with 30 years of skills and experience to achieve excellent patient outcomes. They have an experience of more than 5000 kidney transplants including the highest number of ABO incompatible and pre-emptive transplants," said Dr Somesh K Mittal, Zonal Director, FEHI.

"They are also credited with pioneering the world's first icy technique of Robotic Kidney transplant, in collaboration with Henry Ford Hospital, USA.

No stone is left unturned by the unit to understand the medical conundrums," Mittal stated. On an average seven to eight percent population suffers from kidney diseases. Chronic Kidney Disease is a condition in which the kidneys are suffering from the onslaught of various diseases.

When the kidneys get damaged, they lose their ability to excrete waste matter from the blood and more than 50 percent of the organ is destroyed before symptoms occur.

Source: ANI