Woman gifts life-saving kidney to ailing brother

A 21-year-old youth from Pune was gifted a fresh lease of life by his 25-year-old sister, who successfully donated her kidney to him

On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, here’s a story of sisterly love sure to warm the cockles of your heart. A 21-year-old youth from Pune was gifted a fresh lease of life by his 25-year-old sister, who successfully donated her kidney to him. What’s more, this act of love broke the barriers of blood group incompatibility given that the youth’s blood group is O whereas that of his sister is B positive.

The transplant was performed in six hours, backed by an extensive 12-hour preparatory phase. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The transplant was performed in six hours, backed by an extensive 12-hour preparatory phase. After the surgery, both the recipient and donor are doing well and were discharged on August 29. A kidney transplant was essential for Yash’s survival as he had been battling renal failure.

The recipient Yash Katyal was diagnosed with a life-altering chronic kidney disease (CKD) in November 2022 after which, he had to depend on haemodialysis to sustain his health till such time he could find a kidney donor. Despite Yash’s father’s willingness to donate his kidney due to their matching blood group, unforeseen medical considerations made him an unfit candidate for organ donation.

At that point, Yash’s sister, Nikita Katyal, demonstrated a fervent desire to be her brother’s kidney donor despite having a different blood group. Her wish was turned into reality by a team of experts at Jupiter Hospital, Pune, including Dr SS Bhalerao, senior surgeon, multiorgan transplant, who performed the difficult, ABO incompatible, kidney transplant on August 14. Nephrologist Dr Swati Mane; and anaesthesiologists Dr Bhagyashree Kakde and Vaishali Deshpande were part of the transplant team.

The ABO incompatible kidney transplant was challenging. The immunological discrepancy heightened the risk of rejection after the transplant surgery as there was a risk of the recipient’s immune system perceiving the transplanted kidney as alien.

Dr Bhalerao said, “Our success not only underscores exceptional medical prowess but also marks a pivotal stride in the area of organ transplant in India. This case serves as a beacon of hope for patients and their families facing similar challenges.”

Dr Mane said, “A multifaceted strategy was adopted by combining innovative immunosuppressive medicines and cutting-edge technology during the procedure to make the transplant successful. We incorporated the immunoadsorption technique, employing the Glycosorb filter, a pioneering medical solution for the procedure. This approach effectively lowered the levels of antibodies in the recipient’s bloodstream before the transplant procedure, thereby significantly mitigating the potential for rejection.”