Command Hospital Achieves Landmark First Live Renal Transplant in Military Healthcare
Command Hospital, Western Command, has achieved a significant breakthrough in military healthcare by successfully conducting its inaugural live renal transplant. In an emotional act of sacrifice, a mother donated her kidney to her daughter, who is the spouse of a soldier serving in the Indian Army and had been reliant on dialysis.
The intricate procedure was executed by a team of multidisciplinary specialists, showcasing the hospital's expanding expertise in advanced organ transplant surgeries. This achievement contributes to India’s dependency on live-related donations, which constitute over 90% of kidney transplants nationwide, as stated in a report by the Indian Journal of Nephrology.
This operation takes place against the backdrop of a significant organ shortage in India, where the organ donation rate is only 0.65 per million people, according to data from the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO). Family donations continue to be crucial for the thousands of patients in need of transplants.
Recognized in 2024 as the ‘Best Emerging National Transplant Retrieval Hospital,’ Command Hospital Western Command has demonstrated consistent progress, having conducted 75 transplants since 2014. The recent surgery underscores its leadership in critical care and organ retrieval within the military’s medical framework.
International instances, such as the robotic-assisted kidney transplant between a mother and daughter in Louisiana earlier this year, highlight the medical importance of such procedures. A study featured in The Lancet suggests a 10-year graft survival rate of 85% for live-donor kidney transplants, providing hope for sustained recovery and enhanced quality of life.
The success at Command Hospital not only uplifts the morale among military families but also marks a significant stride towards surgical excellence in military medicine. This achievement is anticipated to inspire further innovation and enhance access to advanced procedures throughout India's defense healthcare system.
