SKIMS achieves feat, performs first Swap Kidney Transplant in J&K

Srinagar, Dec 22: In its continuous efforts to enhance advances in patient care, the Department of Urology & Kidney Transplant SKIMS achieved a major milestone by performing Swap Kidney Transplant today.

In a statement, SKIMS said this is the first swap kidney transplant done in Jammu and Kashmir. Director SKIMS / EOSG complimented Prof. SaleemWani HOD Urology & KTU and associate departments for this significant achievement. “Patient care is top priority at SKIMS and the swap transplant done by the Department of Urology & KTU is a major breakthrough in kidney transplant and our commitment towards new advances in patient care,” the Director said.

HOD, Urology & KTU Prof. SaleemWani while giving details said that “this is landmark surgery done by the SKIMS and is a major milestone set in the kidney transplantation”. He said one patient aged 59 years from south Kashmir, suffering from diabetes and ESRD on dialysis since November 2022, had a wife as his only kidney donor. However they had positive CDC crossmatch due to which kidney transplant was not possible.

He said another patient from Bandipora aged 33 years with CKD stage 5 had mother as his only kidney donor whose Blood group did not match which precluded kidney transplant. “On swap (donor exchange) both patients received blood group matched and immunologically compatible kidney donation,” he said.

Prof. Wani stressed that “Swap Transplant is one of the ways to counter organ shortage as organ shortage is a main hurdle in kidney transplant”, he added. He said that with successful conduct of the first swap kidney transplant, SKIMS has set the ball rolling for enhancing the donor pool. He said it requires a lot of logistics and expertise as two transplants are performed in a single day, which is burdensome “but SKIMS with all capabilities performed the surgery successfully and created a ray of hope for the helpless patients.”

He said SKIMS is a major contributor to the organ transplant program of the country filling a major gap as one lakh eighty thousand kidney failure patients need kidney transplant in India in a year and only 6000 kidney transplants are done. He said SKIMS has so far done more than 550 kidney transplants successfully. Organ shortage being a limiting factor, he underscored the importance of Cadaver Transplant, Swap Transplant and ABO incompatible Transplant.

“This is a way forward to give a new lease of life to patients suffering from kidney failure,” he said. He said the Department of Urology & KTU is taking serious measures to work out Cadaver Transplant and in this direction various awareness programs are being conducted in coordination with the State Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization. He also said that the departments of Urology & KTU, Nephrology, and Immunology are working in close coordination to set another milestone by starting ABO incompatible kidney transplant in near future.

Prof. Wani lauded the Department of Nephrology, Department of Anaesthesia, Department of Immunology for their constant support & close coordination. He thanked and complemented entire team of KTU,Urology OT and all members including Prof. Arif, Hamid, DrRoufKhawaja, Dr. Sajad Malik, DrSajad Para, DrSaqib (Urology), Prof Ashraf Bhat, Prof ImtiyazWani, Prof MuzaffarWani, DrManzoor, DrRais(Nephrology), Prof ShowkatGurcoo, Dr. Khalid (Anesthesiology) and Prof. Zaffar Amin Shah(Immunology). He also appreciated the role of Kidney Transplant Coordinators Yasmin and Ishrat for their efforts of counselling the families.