Ghaziabad: A 26-year-old man from Meerut received a second chance at life after his mother donated a kidney to him despite serious medical challenges that made the transplant highly risky. The complex procedure, carried out at a private hospital in the city, followed months of dialysis, severe anaemia and more than 22 blood transfusions that complicated his condition.The young man initially sought medical help a year ago after experiencing persistent fatigue and a loss of appetite. Investigations revealed chronic kidney disease with a dangerously high serum creatinine level of 12 mg/dl and extremely low haemoglobin levels of just 5 gm/dl. He was soon started on haemodialysis as his kidneys were no longer functioning adequately.However, his condition became more complicated over the following months. “Despite receiving erythropoietin therapy and iron supplements, his anaemia persisted, and he required more than 22 units of blood transfusion within three months. Further tests eventually revealed the underlying cause — occult blood loss. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy confirmed that peptic ulcer disease caused blood loss through the stools, worsening his anaemia,” said Dr Indrajit G Momin, senior consultant at Yashoda Institute of Nephrology and Renal Transplant.As his kidney function continued to decline, doctors recommended a kidney transplant. His mother, who had the same blood group (A+), stepped forward as a donor. However, the transplant evaluation revealed another major hurdle.“Because of the repeated blood transfusions, he developed high levels of Class 1 donor-specific antibodies, which significantly increased the risk of acute rejection immediately after transplant,” said Dr Prajit Mazumdar, another senior consultant at the hospital.To reduce the risk, the medical team initiated a desensitisation protocol using plasmapheresis and specialised medications to remove the harmful antibodies before proceeding with the transplant.“Once the antibody levels were lowered, the transplant was performed successfully. The patient recovered well after surgery with good urine output and his creatinine levels dropped to near normal,” said Dr Vaibhav Saxena, senior director of urology, uro-oncology, robotics and renal transplant at the hospital.Doctors said the case highlights how repeated blood transfusions can complicate organ transplantation by triggering antibody formation.“Kidney disease often progresses silently and is detected only in advanced stages. Symptoms such as fatigue, poor appetite and breathlessness should not be ignored,” Mazumdar added. “Persistent anaemia, especially in young patients, must be properly evaluated to identify underlying causes and avoid repeated transfusions.”
