Kidney – Function and Failure

by Amili R. SEO

It is well-known that our kidneys remove toxic fluids and waste material from our body. But when the kidneys cannot continue to function efficiently, we end up with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), more commonly known as kidney failure. The cause for this could be any one of diabetes, high blood pressure, autoimmune disease, polycystic kidney disease and a myriad of several kidney-related diseases.

Dialysis

Regardless of the cause, a person with kidney failure usually becomes dependent upon the dialysis procedure. Due to kidney failure, excess fluids and toxic waste is not removed naturally from a person’s body, which can lead to further problems that may become life-threatening. In such cases, the affected person requires the help of a dialysis machine under the supervision of trained medical professionals. This helps in removal of waste from their body, which otherwise would have been the kidney’s function to perform.

While this helps, the person becomes too dependent upon the procedure, and normal life is difficult in such a condition. The best solution in this regard is a kidney transplant.

Kidney Transplant

As the name suggests, a kidney transplant is the process of transplanting a new, healthy kidney into the body of a patient diagnosed with ESRD. If the patient’s damaged kidneys pose no problem for the new kidney’s functionality, then they may be left in the body alongside the new kidney, else they will be removed.

Kidney transplant requires a donor whose healthy kidney will be used for the purpose. As such, there are two well-known methods of acquiring a healthy kidney based upon the type of donors:

i. Living Donor – This is usually a relative or a friend of the patient. It can also include a healthy donor who fits the required criteria for compatibility.

ii. Deceased Donor – Also known as cadaver donor. In this case, the kidney of a dead or deceased donor may be used to transplant into the patient’s body.

Where to go for a kidney transplant

Where there is a need for people, there will always be unscrupulous people looking to profit off of others’ problems. Consequently, there are illegal kidney trade operations that one must avoid at all costs. In these cases, the donor is usually someone living in poverty or facing a dire need for money. Illegal organ trade racketeers prey upon them to obtain kidneys and other organs. The illegal donor ends up without the required after-treatment care, and the unknowing receiver may end up getting infected by Hepatitis or even HIV.

When considering a kidney transplant in the country, it is important that you look for the best kidney hospital in India. People from all over the world visit the country due to the high quality of medical care and treatment available at affordable rates. So rest assured, you can find the right kidney transplant doctor in India for your needs.

Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurgaon is among the best kidney hospitals in India and is home to the top kidney transplant doctors in India, catering to all your requirements from diagnosis to the after-surgery stage.