Child's organs save life of 60 year old man at Aster CMI Hospital

Bangalore: In a rare case of pediatric to adult kidney transplant, sixty-year-old Sadanand, suffering from end-stage kidney disease received a new lease of life at Aster CMI Hospital. The donor was a four-year-old child who had been declared brain dead at the hospital. Doctors at Aster CMI conducted an en-bloc kidney transplant (EBKT), a procedure where both kidneys are transplanted from the donor to the recipient, a common technique used in pediatric-adult kidney transplant cases.

The four-year-old donor had been suffering from prolonged, irreversible seizures, which led to a cut off in the oxygen supply to the brain, thus causing brain death. Not many people are aware that even young children can be potential donors for those who are in need of organs. Despite the tragic loss of their child, his family readily agreed to put up their child's organs for donation in order to save Sadanand's life, forever commemorating the child's life in the hearts of many. Although the procedure is surgically challenging, doctors emphasize the need for more awareness of pediatric organ donations to help improve the deceased donor donation rate in India.

"The difference in the size of the donor's organs and the recipient's body makes the surgery a challenge as the blood supply to the kidneys could shut off. In order to avoid blood clotting, we continuously gave blood thinners to the patient. Also, only transplanting one kidney would not be sufficient for the receiving patient who is an adult, therefore we have to transplant both kidneys," said Dr Govardhan Reddy, Lead Consultant- Urology and Uro Oncology, Aster CMI Hospital.

"Only about 4 such cases have been conducted in India so far and around less than 10 in the world, the patient, Sadanand, had lost both his kidneys to diabetes and had been waiting for 3 years for organs to become available. While he was managing his condition through regular dialysis sessions, it was vital for him to undergo a kidney transplant. He was working with a bank when he got registered for a deceased donor transplant and is a father to a daughter who is still pursuing her studies. The surgery was successful and Sadanand has recovered and is back to normal life, said Dr. Vidyashankar P., Lead Consultant – Nephrology, Aster CMI Hospital.

"I am grateful to the family of the child for their decision which has given me a better quality of life. My visits to the hospital have reduced because I am no longer on dialysis. I feel healthy and active and am thankful for each new day I get to spend with my family," said Sadanand.