Srinagar: The Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, a leading renal transplant centre in North India, is planning to introduce cadaveric kidney transplantation, a procedure involving the transfer of a healthy kidney from a deceased donor, officials said.
“SKIMS will also try to do cadaveric kidney transplant that involves transplanting a healthy kidney from a deceased donor to a patient with severe kidney disease. We are planning to make it a full-fledged transplant unit,” said Director SKIMS, Dr M Ashraf Ganie.
Notably, in February this year, SKIMS performed J&K’s first ABO-incompatible kidney transplant, which is a complex procedure. It involved a recipient with an A+ blood group and a donor (husband) with an AB+ blood group, an arrangement traditionally considered incompatible due to the high risk of immediate immune rejection.
“Despite risks, the transplant was successful, and the patient was discharged within 10 days of surgery with a stable and functioning graft,” the director said.
Dr Ashraf said SKIMS has taken several steps in the recent past for upgradation of services and infrastructure. “The Department of Kidney Transplant Unit, with the support of other line departments at the institute, has taken such a step that it can perform kidney transplants of mismatched blood groups, which will highly benefit patients,” he said.
Till date, SKIMS conducted kidney transplants only for matched blood groups, while patients with mismatched blood groups were compelled to travel outside Kashmir for such procedures.
“However, the recent development has significantly expanded treatment options, providing relief to those who earlier had limited access to transplantation within the UT,” he said.
The director said it is a matter of satisfaction that last year the Department of Kidney Transplant extended its capacity for kidney transplants by 50 percent.
The SKIMS centre has been conducting kidney transplants since 1999 and is known for its success in the field.
Officials said that the SKIMS centre has grown significantly over time and achieved notable success in kidney transplantation, benefiting patients with chronic diseases.
They said SKIMS plays a vital role in the country’s organ transplant programme, helping to bridge the gap in kidney transplants, which remain limited across India.
“At present, the institute performs around four to five kidney transplants each month, amounting to nearly 30 to 50 annually,” they added.
