BENGALURU: Manipal Hospital, Yeshwanthpur, became the first hospital to complete 27 ABO-incompatible kidney transplants in Karnataka. At a press conference on Wednesday, 20 donors and recipients shared their surgery and recovery experiences.
The objective of the conference was to raise awareness about ABO-incompatible transplants, and highlight the protocols and procedures followed to perform them. Dr Deepak Kumar, Nephrologist and Transplant Surgeon, said they only opted for the treatment if the patient struggled to find the right donor, or if the patient’s health was steadily deteriorating.
ABO-incompatible transplant is done when blood types of the receiver and donor are different, and therefore, incompatible. Such a transplant becomes very complex. However, medical advancements over the years have made it possible to conduct such surgeries with success, doctors explained. “The patient is given adequate medication pre and post the transplant to reduce the level of antibodies in the blood, which decreases chances of rejection of the organ,” he explained.
Explaining the importance of such transplants, Dr Ajay Shetty, lead consultant, Urology, Renal Transplant and Robotic Surgeon, said, “It is essential to spread awareness about ABO-incompatible transplants for patients with end-stage diseases as they tend to either wait for the right organ match or continue with dialysis.”