Gujarat accounts for 17% of total ABO-incompatible kidney transplants in India: Study

Gandhinagar: Out of approximately 1,800 kidney transplants carried out in the country in the last 12 years where the donor’s and recipient’s blood groups did not match, 17% were performed in Gujarat. A study has revealed that around 300 such transplants were conducted in Gujarat.

These ABO-incompatible kidney transplants (ABOiKT) have yielded promising results, with a higher acceptance rate compared to cadaver donations. The findings were recently published in the journal ‘Transplantation’ in a paper titled ‘A Multi-center Retrospective Cohort Study on Management Protocols and Clinical Outcomes After ABO-incompatible Kidney Transplantation in India.’

In India, where there is a significant disparity between the demand and supply of kidneys, nephrologists are increasingly turning to live-donor matches even when blood groups don’t align. In such cases, patients are administered immunosuppressants and other medications to reduce the risk of rejection of the transplanted kidney.

Dr. Vivek Kute, a nephrology professor at IKDRC-ITS (Institute of Kidney Disease and Research Centre) and one of the study’s lead authors, emphasised that this method is employed when patients are in urgent need of a transplant, and conventional approaches such as live donor, cadaveric donation, or cross exchange (where living donors’ immediate relatives exchange kidney donations) may entail longer waiting times. He noted that in the majority of cases, ABOiKT yielded better results and kidney acceptance rates compared to standard cadaveric kidney donations.

The study revealed a mortality rate of 9.5%, primarily attributed to infections, which accounted for about 17% of cases.

Gujarat witnessed its first such procedure in 2013, and over the past decade, there has been an improved understanding of the process, along with advancements in pre-transplant procedures, medications, and post-transplant care,” said Dr. Umapati Hegde, a senior nephrologist at MPUH in Nadiad and another author of the study.

“While there is still a 5% difference between well-matched kidneys and ABOiKT, achieving a success rate of approximately 90% relieves the patient from regular dialysis,” said Dr. Hegde, who also noted that ABOiKT offers a 10% higher chance of long-term survival. DeshGujarat