When Sukesh Singh was diagnosed with kidney failure 15 years ago, he was only 24 years old. Doctors suggested a transplant that was conducted successfully using one of the kidneys of Singh’s father.

However, 10 years later, Singh’s kidney failed again, requiring another transplant. This time, his mother came forward to donate one of her kidneys to save her son. But this one didn’t last long enough either. Singh (39) was again advised kidney transplant recently as his kidney had failed.

In a rare surgery, the doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital performed the third kidney transplant on the Delhi resident using one of the kidneys donated by Singh’s wife and gave him another lease of life.

A third transplant is rare for two reasons; first, it is difficult to find a donor the third time and secondly, the doctors said, an additional cavity has to be created to place the new organ.

According to Dr Vipin Tyagi, kidney transplant surgeon at SGRH, the third transplant is a real surgical challenge. “We have to make sure there is no threat to the working of the new kidney. Also, it is not easy to find a suitable space in the recipient’s body, which already has four kidneys – two original ones and two transplanted previously,” he said. Dr Tyagi added that the patient is doing well post-surgery. He, however, clarified that it is difficult to predict how long the new kidney would function.

Dr Harsh Jauhari, chairperson, renal transplant surgery at the hospital, added, “In SGRH, where we are doing approximately 250 transplants every year, we have had five cases with a third transplant needed.

In the last 25 years since we started the transplant in India, there is increasing awareness about kidney donation, which not only results in the increase in number of kidney transplants, but also increases cases of multiple transplants in same patients.”

“The need of multiple kidney transplants in the same patient is not because of recurrence of the same disease, but because of chronic rejection and some other reasons that will not affect the new kidney,” said Dr Sudhir Chadha, co-chairperson, department of urology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

Curtsy: Times of India, 26/12/2019