10-year-old Pune boy weighing only 15 kilos undergoes rare kidney transplant

This transplant was necessary as the patient was anaemic, showing poor growth and had metabolic acidosis. Earlier transplants have been done on kids weighing 20 kilos and more, said the doctors.

A 10-year-old weighing only 15 kilos underwent a kidney transplant in a city-based hospital taking on a kidney from his father. While kidney transplants between families are possible, what makes this surgery rare is that it has happened in a child weighing just 15 kilos. The surgery helped the child get a new lease of life.

The 10-year-old boy was being provided medication to push for growth since the last four years but had gained only five kilos. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Doctors from Jehangir hospital, where the surgery was carried out, said, "The child is from Indapur district in Pune. He was born with a kidney disease and had bilateral dysplastic kidneys. Hence, a kidney transplant was necessary." The boy was a patient of Dr Manoj Matnani since the past two-and-a-half years. Matnani said that the boy was being provided medication to push for growth since the last four years but he had gained only five kilos.

This transplant was necessary as the patient was anaemic, showing poor growth and had metabolic acidosis. Earlier transplants have been done on kids weighing 20 kilos and more, said the doctors. “Usually mothers end up taking the role of the donor. But in this case, the father was a matching A+ blood group and the father was keen to give his kidney. The transplant was important as this was his only chance,” said Dr Manoj Matnani, the paediatric nephrologist at Jehangir hospital.

A team of four surgeons Dr Nitin Gadgil, Dr Ketan Pai along with Dr Kripekar and Dr Yogesh Sohoni worked on this case to ensure that both the child and father are in good health.