Sci-TechGS-IIGS-III· 1 min read
Paediatric Kidney Transplant via Donor Swap
Why in news?
A Bengaluru-based hospital performed India's first paediatric kidney transplant using a two-way donor swap between two families with blood-group incompatible donors.
Key points
- The transplant involved a 15-year-old boy and a 21-year-old adult male.
- Families had willing donors, but blood-group incompatibility prevented direct donation.
- Alliance for Paired Donation (APKD) software was used to facilitate the swap.
- This method overcomes ABO blood-group and Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) incompatibility in living donation.
- The procedure reduces the chances of re-transplants and improves outcomes.
Background & context
Kidney transplantation is a life-saving procedure for patients with end-stage renal disease. Blood-group incompatibility and tissue matching are significant challenges. Kidney-Paired Donation (KPD) programs aim to solve these issues by facilitating exchanges between incompatible donor-recipient pairs.
★ Prelims fact capsule
The procedure facilitated by the Alliance for Paired Donation (APKD) software enables kidney exchanges.
✎ Mains relevance
GS Paper II: Social Justice (Healthcare, Medical Advancements), GS Paper III: Science and Technology (Medical Innovations).