NEW DELHI: A 70-year-old deceased woman’s kidneys, which might otherwise have gone unused because of her age, have helped save a 56-year-old woman at AIIMS Delhi.Doctors say the hospital’s second successful dual kidney transplant from an elderly ‘marginal donor’ highlights the potential of using carefully selected older donor organs to help address India’s shortage of kidneys for transplantation.The transplant was performed on July 28 using the kidneys that came on an Army helicopter from Command Hospital in Chandigarh’s Chandimandir.Because of the donor’s advanced age, surgeons transplanted both kidneys into a single recipient, a strategy that helps provide adequate kidney function while maximising the use of organs that might otherwise be declined.
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The kidneys, which remained preserved outside the body for nearly 12 hours, started functioning immediately after surgery. The recipient recovered without complications and was discharged after 10 days with normal kidney function.Doctors said the case demonstrated the value of marginal donors, a category that included people above 60 years or those with conditions such as hypertension or diabetes.In selected cases, transplanting both kidneys into one recipient allows organs from such donors to be successfully utilised.The transplant surgery was led by prof Asuri Krishna of the surgical disciplines department, with support from nephrologists prof D Bhowmik and prof Sandeep Mahajan, while the anaesthesia team was headed by prof Vimi Rewari.The organ retrieval, transport and transplantation were coordinated by Organ Retrieval Banking Organisation, AIIMS.Dual kidney transplantation is an important strategy for expanding access to transplantation for patients with end-stage kidney disease, stated AIIMS.According to the institute, this was its second such successful transplant, demonstrating that carefully selected kidneys from elderly donors can provide excellent early outcomes while increasing the use of organs.
