Kidney transplant in India

What it is

A kidney transplant puts a healthy kidney from a donor into a person whose kidneys have failed. A working transplant can end the need for dialysis.

Who it is for

Your kidney doctor decides if a transplant is right for you. Some health problems make a transplant unsafe. The hospital in India also does its own tests before it agrees.

The donor

Most transplants for travelling patients use a living donor, often a close family member.

• Indian law controls organ donation.
• A committee at the hospital or the state must approve each transplant from a living donor.
• The donor needs documents that prove the relationship. The hospital tells you which ones.
• Paying a donor is a crime in India. Never agree to pay a donor or a broker.

What to expect

1. The hospital reviews your reports and the donor's reports.
2. You and the donor travel. Both of you have more tests in India.
3. The committee meets to approve the transplant.
4. The donor and the patient have surgery.
5. The patient stays near the hospital for checks after discharge.

Ask the hospital how many weeks you and the donor must stay in India.

After the transplant

You take medicines every day for life to stop your body from rejecting the kidney. You need regular blood tests. Plan who checks you in Kenya before you travel.

Risks

Every operation has risks. The kidney can fail or be rejected. The medicines lower your defence against infection. Ask the hospital to explain the risks for you and for the donor.

Questions to ask the hospital

• What tests do the patient and the donor need before travel?
• Which documents does the donor need for the committee?
• How long must the patient and the donor stay in India?
• What does the quote include for the donor and for the patient?
• Which medicines do I need after I go home, and can I get them in Kenya?