WOMAN DONATES KIDNEY, SAVES HUSBAND’S LIFE

Both had earlier undergone angioplasty and have other co-morbidities, which made the procedure unique, said doctors

To help another live a little longer is the idea behind organ donation. A unique life saving kidney transplant was performed at Fortis Hiranandani Hospital in Vashi on World Health Day, on April 7, wherein a 67-year-old retired civil engineer suffering from endstage renal disease (ESRD) was donated a kidney by his 62year-old wife. In ESRD, survival is only possible through dialysis or transplant.

The recipient and donor – Sudhir Kulkarni and his wife Madhvanti – have recovered from their surgeries and posed for a photograph with surgeon Dr Atul Ingale, who said it was a unique procedure as both are senior citizens and suffer from co-morbidities. Moreover, the two (residents of Seawoods) are also caregivers for Sudhir’s 90-year-old mother and their daughter lives abroad, which made the decision an extremely difficult one.

Dr Ingle is a consultantnephrologist and transplant physician at the hospital and is also the director of the department of nephrology. He said, “The recipient had undergone

The transplant would not have been possible without the support of the donor’s wife, said the doctor

angioplasty a year ago during the pandemic and had also contracted the coronavirus infection in January this year. His wife, the donor, also underwent angioplasty almost nine months ago.” He said they had the added responsibility of looking after the man’s 90-yearold mother, which magnified their emotional and mental turmoil. Dr Ingale said after consultation with him, they understood the procedure, its outcome and decided to go ahead with it.

Doctors said as per kidney transplant protocols, if a donor-recipient match is found within the family, it is best to encourage it. “This transplant would not have been possible without the support of the wife (donor) who did not hesitate and was able to understand the complexities and requirements of the surgery,” said Dr Ingale.

Sudhir said, “I was very apprehensive about my wife donating her kidneys to me as it could have affected her health.” Thanking all doctors involved, he said it could not have been possible without them.