Apr 25, 2022
Gurgaon29thMay 2018: A 23-year-old Pooja Yadav had to undergo termination of first pregnancy because of uncontrolled BP and kidney failure.
Hypertension was diagnosed to be the cause for her kidney failure and kidney transplant was the only solution available. The biggest problem for Pooja was to find a suitable donor. Due to the acute shortage of organ donations, getting a cadaveric kidney seemed like a far-fetched dream. Luckily for Pooja, her mother-in law stepped up to save her life and decided to donate her kidney. However, the case was difficult as the donor and recipient had different blood groups. While, Pooja had an O+ blood group, her mother-in law had B+.
Dr.P.N.Gupta, Chief of Nephrology, Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon said, “Two lives were at risk in this case. It was a challenging surgery, stretching for four hours. The biggest challenge for us was that the donor and recipient had different blood groups. As waiting for a similar blood group donor was not an option, we decided to conduct the surgery with the kidney available from differing blood group. After intensive treatment the antibodies against the donor blood group were removed and the transplant was performed with a team of expert surgeons, the surgery went well. We advised both the donor and recipient to follow up with the post surgery treatments and ensure that they take medicines regularly. They were also suggested to have a kidney-friendly meal plan. As everybody is different and everybody has different nutriti on needs,we consulted a renal dietitian (someone who is an expert in diet and nutrition for people with kidney disease) to find a meal plan that works for the patients. Kidney failure is very common in India, but Pooja’s surgery was unique as she suffered kidney failure during her pregnancy.”
End stage kidney disease occurs when the kidneys have lost about 90 percent of their ability to function normally. A patient can have two types of treatment, dialysis or transplantation. Kidney transplant is preferred over dialysis as it is associated with better quality of life, lower risk of death, fewer dietary restrictions and lower treatment cost.
Further on the case Dr. P N Gupta said, Kidney problems occur when kidneys lose their filtering ability and harmful levels of fluid and waste accumulate in the human body,raising blood pressure and resulting in kidney failure. Hypertension is one of the leading factors that cause damage to blood vessels in the kidneys, reducing their ability to work properly. When kidneys’ blood vessels are damaged, they stop removing wastes and extra fluid from the body, further raising blood pressure, creating a dangerous cycle.