Renal transplant waiting drops to 2 months at PGI

Chandigarh, September 11

The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here has drastically reduced the waiting time for renal transplants. Under the collaborative efforts of the Renal Transplant, Urology, and Nephrology Departments, the waiting period for renal transplants has been reduced from a year to just two and a half months.

A big jump in Number of surgeries

• Renal Transplant Department performed only one or two surgeries a day earlier
• With the involvement of the Urology and Nephrology Departments, the hospital now performs eight or nine kidney transplants daily.
• In just the first six months of this year, it has surpassed 225 transplants.
• The institution aims at exceeding 400 transplants by the end of this year.

Previously, the Renal Transplant Department solely conducted kidney transplants at the PGIMER, with the capacity to perform only one or two surgeries a day. However, with the expanded involvement of the Urology and Nephrology Departments, the hospital now performs an impressive eight or nine kidney transplants daily. Last year, the PGIMER conducted more than 200 renal transplants. In just the first six months of this year, it has surpassed 225 transplants. The institution aims at exceeding 400 transplants by the end of this year.

In total, the PGIMER has performed over 4,800 renal transplants, encompassing both live and deceased patients’ donations. Approximately 85% of these kidneys were donated by living donors, typically blood relatives, while the remaining came from the families of deceased donors.

“The decrease in the waiting time for renal transplants at the PGIMER is indeed a remarkable breakthrough, offering hope to countless individuals suffering from end-stage renal disease. The collaboration among the Renal Transplant, Urology, and Nephrology Departments has streamlined the transplant process,” said Prof Vivek Lal, PGIMER Director.

In addition to renal transplants, the PGIMER has also made substantial progress in pancreas, liver and heart transplants, effectively reducing the waiting period for patients in need. Notably, the PGIMER accomplished a successful living donor liver transplant (LDLT) on August 7, where a 46-year-old male patient from Uttar Pradesh received a liver from his wife. Both the recipient and the donor experienced smooth recoveries.

For living donor transplants routinely performed in the country, private hospitals charge around Rs 35 lakh, while the PGI offers this procedure for about Rs 14 lakh for both the donor and the recipient.