Assam: GMCH Doctors Conduct Unique Kidney Transplant Operation

GUWAHATI: Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH), has pulled off a remarkable achievement by successfully performing a kidney transplant on a 19-year-old woman whose blood type didn't match that of her donor mother's. 

This first-ever ABO-incompatible kidney transplant procedure was performed in the superspeciality unit of GMCH on March 23 by a team of medical professionals led by Prof. Sasanka Kumar Baruah, head of the hospital's urology department. 

Due to kidney failure, the patient was unable to continue her medical career after passing the medical entrance exam for admission to the MBBS programme. On Thursday, she was given the all-clear and discharged from the hospital. 

"Moreover, the donor kidney contains two arteries of different sizes, which had to be successfully anastomosed or linked. This made the surgery technically difficult. This is the first kidney transplant for an incompatible patient carried out independently by Assam’s surgeons in the entire northeastern area," Baruah informed media.

Her family was having a difficult time locating an O positive blood donor after learning that her kidneys had failed. Once her mother, who has an "A positive" blood group, volunteered to give one of her kidneys, medical professionals finally decided to move forward with the ABO-incompatible transplant procedure.

Three kidney transplants have been performed at GMCH in the past 10 days, in addition to routine transplant surgery. But, the 19-year-old’s case was unique for the surgeons. A thorough preparation was made for almost two weeks prior to the transplant surgery under the active supervision of Prof. Dr. (Mrs.) Manjuri Sharma, head of the nephrology department at GMCH, and her team. 

She received various medications from GMCH and the state government at no cost during this time. The success at GMCH has given patients with kidney failure fresh hope because the cost of surgery in private hospitals has been the main barrier rather than finding a donor with the same blood group. 

Baruah declared: "A kidney transplant is now achievable at the GMCH for less than Rs 1 lakh (the government would cover the remaining costs). For families who are less fortunate, it has been a huge relief."

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