State of the art Renal Transplant Unit launched in Max Super Specialty Hospital Mohali

Chandigarh, August 21, 2013: A state of the art Renal Transplant Unit was launched in Max Super Specialty Hospital, Mohali today. Present on the occasion was the renal transplant team including Dr Sanand Bag -- Consultant Urologist, Laparoscopic & Transplant Surgeon, who heads this world class Transplant centre and Urology Unit, and Dr Munish Chauhan, Consultant,  Nephrology, Head, Nephrology Unit of Max Super Specialty Hospital, Mohali.         
Addressing a press conference at Press Club here today, Dr Chauhan said that due to growing population of diabetes and hypertension, each year about 2-lakh new patients developed chronic kidney failure(CRF) in our country. Whereas transplant would take place in only about 5000 cases, because of lack of awareness of people and unavailability of donor. This huge discrepancy between need and supply could be bridged, if organs from accident victims (around 4-lakh) dying every year, were made available for transplant, pointed out Dr Chauhan.
He said further, the other most viable option was donor swapping and transplantation from ABO-blood group incompatible donors. Such transplants which were considered high risk in the past were now days possible with good short term and acceptable long term results in lieu of efficient immunosuppressive treatment protocols available, he maintained.
Speaking about Renal Transplant Unit, Dr Bag said that the unit was equipped with one of a kind world class transplant ICU having positive pressure isolation rooms with HEPA filtered air, as sterile as an operation theatre to prevent infections and thus hasten recovery. Moreover it has facilities for intensive monitoring, ventilation, quality dialysis bed side in the Transplant ICU and dedicated team of well experienced healthcare providers, he remarked.
Discussing on how chronic kidney failure leads to irreversible damage to the kidneys, Dr Munish Chauhan said that CRF was progressive in nature and irreversible damage to the kidneys (occurring over a long period of time-often many years) could happen mainly because of diabetes, hypertension, infection, urinary obstruction, stone disease and some inherited abnormalities. Advanced stage of CRF or End Stage Renal Disease ( ESRD) required some form of Renal Replacement Therapy (RRT) like Hemodialysis (filtering the blood off toxins & waste products), Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) or a Transplant. As of now, Kidney Transplant was the best treatment option for any suitable patient with ESRD, he asserted.
Elucidating the benefits of a renal transplant to the patient in the long run, Dr Chauhan said that although it appeared to be an expensive investment at the outset, kidney transplant was the most economical amongst the three RRT options in long run, and also provided the best quality of life compared to that in dialysis or CAPD.
Talking about organ donation, Dr Bag said that generally we were more skeptical about our own well-being when somebody was asked to donate one kidney, one would need to understand that donating one kidney did not affect the physical abilities, quality of life or longevity of a person. Many cross sectional observations in persons who have lost one kidney to trauma, infection or other disease, retrospective analyses, as well as long term prospective studies have proven long term safety of kidney donors. Again the best match for a kidney would be that from a twin (which was a rarely available), and better match was that from first degree relatives in terms of graft take up and long term out come. Now days, we offered donor’s operation by laparoscopy which is less painful (than open operation), enabled faster recovery and early return to work.”              
Dr Ashutosh Sood, GM Operations, Max Hospital Mohali said that kidney transplant procedure needed several legal formalities. As per the law of our country, kidney donation by a medically fit ‘near relative’ (siblings, parents, spouse or children) entailed minimum hassle as also provided best outcome. Donation of kidney by any person other than ‘near relatives’ required approval from respective state govt, and for foreign national permission from the Embassy as well as MEA, he said adding we were grateful to Max India Foundation -- our sister organization indulging in various charity and welfare activities in society, for extending medical support to the poor and underprivileged people for this noble cause- which has given a new lease of life to many needy and deserving patients.     
Meanwhile Mr. Yumnam Rattan (35) and Ms Priya Devi (27) years from Manipur, both patients of kidney failure on dialysis, successfully transplanted with kidney donated by their respective sisters, have expressed their gratitude for compassionate care by the kidney transplant team at Max Mohali and expressed their happiness on leading a healthy and comfortable life after the kidney transplant surgery.      
Dr Sanand Bag, is a renowned surgeon in Urology and Transplant fraternity - who has independently performed over 500 kidney transplants with results at par with best centers across the globe. In addition to his meticulous surgical craft and magnanimous healing hands, Dr Bag has a vast experience in managing difficult cases including all types of kidney allograft rejections. Dr Munish Chauhan is a renowned nephrologist  in the region.