Bengaluru: A 14-year-old Ethiopian boy suffering from stunted growth and bony deformities, has received a new lease of life in a city hospital with his father as a kidney donor.
The boy was diagnosed with a condition called posterior urethral valves which causes blockage to the flow of urine.
This high-risk transplant performed at the Aster CMI Hospital was done using the standard induction immunosuppression protocol. The surgery lasted close to six hours. There were no complications during or after the surgery.
Talking about the surgery, Dr Govardhan Reddy, Lead Consultant – Urology & Uro Oncology, Aster CMI Hospital said “Children with CKD usually present late, with bony deformities and stunted growth. Two to 3 per cent of these children progress to end-stage renal disease. The procedure was surgically challenging in view of the small vessels and limitation of space in the recipient. Kidney transplantation opens way for a near-normal childhood in this group of children.”
The child was closely monitored and discharged after one week with normal renal functions. Child is currently two months post-transplant and is doing well. He is undergoing physiotherapy and is able to stand on his own. The child will be regularly monitored for urinary tract infections with periodic urine cultures.
Commenting on this complex kidney transplantation, Dr Vidyashankar P, Lead Consultant – Nephrology, Aster CMI Hospital, said, “Chronic kidney disease in children has adverse long-term consequences. Congenital anomalies in the kidney and urinary tract are the most common cause of CKD in children.
“Children with end stage renal disease face various challenges during dialysis in the form of compliance, blood pressure fluctuations and access issues. Dialysis interferes with a child’s growth and development and shortens the life span. Pediatric renal transplantation is a lifesaving procedure in these cases.”
Previously, the boy had undergone two surgeries for the same condition at the age of two and six. However, he continued to have recurrent infections with a progressive decline in renal functions.
For the past two years, he was unable to walk or do his activities due to bony deformities and muscle weakness. Kidney transplantation was the best option for him, medical experts had concluded.
The child’s father came forward as a voluntary donor to save his son’s life.
