NEW DELHI: A private hospital has performed a four-way paired kidney transplant involving four patients and four living donors from different regions. The eight participants could not undergo direct transplantation due to blood-group or immunological incompatibility. Through a paired-exchange programme, each donor was matched with another patient.
According to Max Hospital, Saket, the swap transplants were performed on July 13, involving eight surgeries on the same day—four donor nephrectomies and four kidney transplants. The procedures began around 7 am and were completed by 6 pm, with five operating theatres functioning simultaneously.
The hospital said regulatory approval involved extensive documentation, repeated presentations and detailed scrutiny, eventually requiring an appeal to the Delhi High Court.