The Kidneys are two organs situated in the abdomen that filter blood and eliminate waste products and remove water that we ingest. The kidney also regulates the balance of acid, base, and electrolytes in the body and is involved closely in the metabolism of Vitamin D and stimulation of red blood cell production in the bone marrow. Non-functioning of the kidneys is not compatible with life as kidneys are a vital organ to sustain life. Normal kidney function is required to sustain life. End Stage Kidney Disease refers to a condition wherein the two kidneys in the human body are functioning at a minimal level at which they may or may not be able to sustain life.
The only treatment modalities for this condition are either Dialysis or Transplantation. Transplantation is a process that involves surgically placing a donated kidney into a patient having end-stage kidney disease. The patient receiving the kidney will need certain medicines which will facilitate acceptance of the new kidney by the donor's body and immune system. Book an appointment at Manipal Hospitals to know more about Kidney Transplant in Millers Road Bangalore.
The surgery as such has a good success rate, and the recovery takes a few days in such cases. Donors can be of two kinds, living donors or deceased donors (donors who unfortunately lose their lives and are brain dead). Deceased donors are relatively scarce as the number of patients on dialysis waiting for a kidney transplant is overwhelming and the number of deceased donors available for harvesting a kidney is limited. This is because sometimes the kidneys are not medically apt to be removed for donation due to a valid medical issue and also many families of potential deceased donors are not willing to give up the organs for donation due to social or religious purposes.
Benefits of Renal Donation
It needs to be emphasized repeatedly that the donation of an organ such as donation of kidney, liver, heart, or lung can be life-saving for someone else who is staying alive by the support of dialysis or an artificial modality of organ replacement therapy. Living kidney donation, the other option for kidney procurement is also a very safe procedure, where a donor donates his kidney which is surgically removed and placed into the recipient. Living donors are typically medically fit and need rigorous evaluation by their evaluating teams of doctors for not only kidney issues but of all major organ systems before donation, and potential donors having pre-existing medical ailments that preclude donation are not permitted to donate.
Kidney transplant has advantages over dialysis as the patient lives much longer than the average patient on dialysis, quality of life is better, as patients will be fit to work and will not spend 12 hours a week on dialysis at a dialysis center (excluding time for traveling three times a week and the other logistics) and can travel with certain precautions. The expenses incurred for a transplant may be more initially but over the years the expenses incurred on dialysis with intercurrent illness would be far more with shorter overall life expectancy and relatively poor quality of life. Dietary restrictions are minimal after transplantation too and patients can enjoy their meals to a large extent. Visit Manipal Hospitals, Renal Transplant Hospital in Millers Road Bangalore for the best treatment.
Need of Living Donors
Living donors have a normal life span and a normal quality of life and are suggested to undergo basic medical evaluation yearly which ensures that they are fit and that any kind of medical ailment that may develop in the future, even unrelated to kidney disease can be picked up and addressed. Hence living donors usually do well, in the long run, compared to the general population as they are periodically screened.
The advantages of Living donor vs. deceased donor are that living donation does not require waitlisting (deceased donor waitlists often run into years) and the quality of the kidney will be pristine as the donor is perfectly healthy. Overall long-term outcomes are usually better with living donor kidneys due to better overall kidney quality, better timing of the procedure and gratitude often to a living relative. Also for a living donation, we can opt for recipient conditioning against the blood group and sensitized transplants which will expand the donor options for a particular patient. In living-related transplants, one can get an organ even before the start of dialysis. Consult with our Renal Transplant Surgeon in Millers Road Bangalore to have more clarity on Living donor vs. deceased donor.
Overall, more families of potential deceased donors should come forward and consent for deceased organ donation as this is a life-changing process for thousands of people who are struggling to cope with their daily living and free them from their life supporting therapeutic modalities like dialysis. Family members who have attained adulthood should approach their family members on dialysis and be more motivated towards donating a kidney if medically approved for the same reasons, particularly due to the scarcity of deceased donor organs and long waitlists at the end of which many potential recipients will not be fit to get that deceased kidney that they have been waiting for.
Consultant - Nephrologist And Transplant Physician
Manipal Hospitals, Millers Road, Bangalore
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