Kidneys help in filtering out the waste from the body through urine. These two body parts which are the size of our fists when they stop working leads to the buildup of harmful fluids and waste in the body. Renal failure can happen because of many reasons such as chronic high blood pressure, diabetes, polycystic kidney disease, autoimmune disease and glomerulonephritis. If not treated on time, it can cause death.

What is Kidney Transplant?

ESRD (end stage renal disease)or ESKD (end stage kidney failure) happens when 90% of our kidney function has stopped working, in those cases we need alternatives to remove the harmful fluid and keep us alive. People either opt for dialysis or a kidney transplant. Kidney Dialysis and a kidney transplant are the two main ways kidney failure is treated. 

People who cannot have a transplant because of age, other treatments or mental illness, health issues, cancer treatments, or unavailability of a donor opt for dialysis. But kidney transplant is a more preferred approach for long term better health outcomes.

Types of Kidney Transplant 

There are two main types of kidney transplant, mentioned below:

• Live Donor Transplant: When the recipient receives the organ from his/her family members such as children, spouse, parents, or siblings, who are healthy and over 18. Written consent is a must by the donor after receiving all the information regarding the whole procedure, risks, and complications.

• Deceased donor or cadaver donor transplant: The donor can also be someone who has recently died (consent from family members is taken) or someone who chose to donate their organs after death by registering as an organ donor. 

List of Top 5 Kidney Transplant Hospitals in India

The best 5 hospitals for kidney transplant in India, you need to know about them.

1. Fortis Escorts, Okhla

With patient centric approach, dedicated and advanced intensive care unit and over 350 kidney transplant procedures done globally, fortis hospital provides the best care  for their kidney patients.

They offer -

• Deceased donor kidney transplant

• live donor kidney transplant

• minimal invasive kidney transplant

• preemptive kidney transplant 

They provide full pre and post care to the patients. Their team of experts includes the principal director of nephrology Dr. Ajit Singh Narula , chairman of urology Dr. Sanjeev Gulati, chairman of nephrology and Dr. Mohan Keshvamurthy, principal director of urology.

The cost of kidney transplant at Fortis Escorts can vary between 11l - 23l for Indian nationals depending on the kind of procedure and whether it is a live donor transplant or deceased donor. 

2. Max Hospital, Delhi

BLK Max Speciality Hospital has all the advanced equipment for dialysis as well as for the transplant. Their team of expert nephrologists, urologists and surgeons are highly trained and experienced professionals. They have done the highest number of cadaver kidney transplants (deceased donor transplant) and hence expertise in the domain of deceased donor transplant. 

They provide one of the best pre and post operation operation care. They also make sure to provide the best care for the live donors as well. The procedure they use is laparoscopic donor nephrectomy which causes minimal pain and fast recovery.

They offer -

• Preemptive Kidney Transplant

• Highly Antigenic Kidney Transplant

• Re-Transplant and Transplantation in HIV-Positive patients

• ABO-incompatible Kidney Transplant 

Cost for Renal transplants at Max hospital starts from 13000 USD onwards. It can vary depending on various factors. ABO - incompatible transplant costs more than compatible kidney transplant.

3. Medanta Hospital, Gurugram

Medanta hospital is an emerging new name in the field of healthcare that focuses on patients first approach. They offer different types of kidney transplants - 

• Cadaveric transplant

• paediatric kidney transplant

• Swap transplant 

• ABO compatible transplant

Choosing medanta becomes easier when the hospital provides the best healthcare experts when it comes to renal experts and transplant surgeons. The equipment used for the transplants are state of the art, and everything from the first step that is the consultation till the recovery period they always keep the patients well being a priority.

The cost of transplant at Medanta can vary for cadaveric renal transplant and live donor transplant. Cost of Transplant - for Indians it is between - INR 1123172 - 2337514 and for international citizens it could be between USD 13213 - 27821

4. Gleneagles Hospital, Bengaluru

At Gleneagles renal transplants are done by well known experts in the field of nephrology, urology and with trained and expert surgeons. They perform difficult cases including abo - incompatible transplants and have amazing post transplant care and critical care team for emergencies. 

This hospital is one of the best liver and renal transplant hospitals in India. They have done many successful kidney transplant procedures with the help of experienced surgeons, anesthetists, nephrologists, and support staff who have dealt with complicated cases related to kidney transplant. Plus, the technology they use such as exclusive ICUs and high tech operating rooms helps make sure the transplant is successful.

The cost of Transplant for Indian nationals can range from 10.8l- 18.8l for living donors, and for deceased donor transplant the cost can be between 14l - 22l. For International citizens a live donor transplant can cost anywhere from 13000 - 22000 USD, and for deceased donor transplants it is 17000 - 28000 USD.

5. Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi

Sir Ganga Ram Hospital was one of the first hospitals in North India to do kidney transplant back in the 1980s. With more than 6000 kidney transplants performed till date including 1200 live kidney transplants, they have a success rate of above 90%. The hospital performs almost 250 organ transplants every year.

Their department of nephrology was recognized as the centre of excellence by the government of India. The cost of kidney transplant at Sir Ganga Ram is between 5l -8l for Indian nationals.

What is The Success Rate of Kidney Transplant ?

The success rate of kidney transplant can differ depending on whether the donor was alive or deceased. The survival rates are a little better for living donor transplants with age between 18 to 35. It is around 97.8% (five year survival rate). For deceased donor transplants the survival rate for the same age group is around 95.8% It can differ based on age, recipients above the age of 65 have higher mortality rates.

Maximum life after kidney transplant may vary. Living donor transplant recipients can live up to anywhere between 15-20 years whereas the maximum life expectancy for deceased donor transplant recipients is 8-12 years.

Conclusion

Renal failure can take an emotional toll on the person dealing with this health crisis as well as on close family members. Choosing the right hospital within the budget that has good pre and post transplant care and experienced doctors is the key. Many people go back to their normal lives and live a healthy and active life post surgery.