Frequently Asked Questions

As the name suggests, the organ for transplantation is obtained from a donor who is alive. Live donor or living donor transplant is possible only for Liver, Kidney and Bone Marrow Transplant.

Liver cirrhosis is a slowly progressing disease in which scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue, causing permanent and irreparable damage to the liver. The reasons for liver cirrhosis can be: Hepatitis B or C infection Alcoholic liver diseases Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (fat build-up in the liver cells) Genetic and auto immune disorders Congenital birth defects According to the National Institute of Health, liver cirrhosis is the 12th leading cause of death by disease in India .

Your doctor can diagnose whether you have any alcohol-related disease based on your medical history, physical examination, blood tests and radiological investigations such as Ultrasound or CT scan. If required, you may need to undergo a liver biopsy. This will help your doctor to understand the extent of damage caused to your liver. During the biopsy, a small portion of the liver tissue will be removed with the help of a needle and tested in the laboratory. Remember, it is possible that a patient can suffer from multiple liver problems like Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C infection at the same time.

Kidney transplant is the process of replacing the diseased kidney with a healthy, donated kidney. It is recommended only if the kidneys are so damaged that they cannot be managed medically (Chronic Kidney Disease or End Stage Renal Disease). In some cases, transplant might not be a practical solution if the patient has an active infection or another life-threatening disease such as cancer, severe heart or lung diseases. Fortunately, according to worldwide figures, the success rate of kidney transplant is above 95%. This not only comes as a reassurance for those opting for transplant, but also reaffirms the fact that kidney transplant is indeed an effective mode of treatment.

There are two types of kidney transplants: Live donor Transplant and Cadaver Transplant When a person is transplanted with a kidney from a live donor, it is called Live Donor Transplant. The donor could be anyone - a family member, friend, colleague or even a random person who is generous enough to gift life by donating one of his/ her kidney. Usually, the success rates of kidney transplants in which the donor and recipient belong to one family (parent/ sibling) are higher. This is because of high donor-recipient compatibility, which means the chances of rejection are very low. A live donor makes things easy as the waiting period is lesser and the patient gets well faster. Cadaver transplant is when the kidney is got from a donor who is certified brain-dead. He or she would have would have signed up for donation before death. The kidney is surgically removed after obtaining consent from the deceased’s family and transplanted in the recipient.

With advance in technology, obtaining cells from a donor or harvesting has become relatively simple. Bone marrow is harvested using needle from the hip or at times breastbone area, after inducing general or local anaesthesia. The harvested bone marrow is processed to remove blood and bone fragments, combined with a preservative and frozen at sub-zero temperatures to keep the stem cells alive but dormant until required. This technique is known as cryopreservation. We have a cryopreservation unit where we can cryopreserve stem cells for many years. In order to harvest PBSCs, the donor is given medications to produce and release excess stem cells into the blood stream. Called apheresis, blood is drawn from the donor and subject to a process that removes only the stem cells. The blood is then returned to the donor and the collected cells, stored in the cryopreservation unit. This usually takes 4 to 6 hours. We also obtain stem cells from umbilical cord on consent, to treat children and adults. We can cryopreserve these cells or even the entire cord for years.

If you are the bone marrow donor, you might feel tired and lethargic after donating the cells. However you will return to normalcy in a few days or sometimes, in a few weeks. As it is a procedure done under anaesthesia, you might need to do all relevant health checks before donating. Aphersis, however is easier, except for occasional giddiness, headache and some discomfort caused mainly due to the medicines given for increasing stem cells.

Post-surgery care is extremely crucial and you have to take up the responsibility of your own health and wellbeing. Make sure you take your medications on time. And remember that these medications must be taken for life. Exercise - we encourage heart transplant recipients to increase physical activity to improve the functions of the heart and avoid weight gain. However, you’ll need to take the advice of your Cardiologist and Rehabilitation Therapist before you start on your regime. We’ll give you specific instructions on what you should eat and what you should not. A low-fat, low-sodium diet will decrease the risk of heart diseases, high blood pressure and fluid retention. Remember, how you recover, how well you recover and how quickly you recover depend on many factors including your age, general health and your response to the transplant. Patients, especially children will need to be monitored all their life to ensure nothing is wrong. Fortunately, according to worldwide statistics, almost 85% heart transplant recipients get back to their normal life within a reasonable time. The most important of all are regular check-ups. Missing even one means you are neglecting your health. So visit your doctor at regular intervals, get your investigations done on time and lead a healthy lifestyle. It’s a second chance at life, make sure you live it well.

A medical subspeciality of Radiology that plays a vital role in both emergency and elective care, Interventional Radiology (IR) is the minimally invasive, image-guided treatment of certain diseases/ conditions that may otherwise require an open surgery. IR procedures are performed with the help of advanced imaging modalities like MRI, CT and ultrasound scans, in cath labs/ sterile operation theatre environments. The interventional radiologist can see the inside of the body and treat complex conditions ranging from brain aneurysms to cancers, through very small incisions (2-3mm in 90% cases), with unmatched precision and speed.

Genetic predisposition is one of the reasons for obesity, it is a well-known and currently proven fact. Around 43% of the general population is susceptible to become obese due to genetic factors.