Some common misconceptions regarding Kidney Transplants. Read on to understand more about the kidney transplant.
Myth 1: Kidney diseases can be cured with a transplant
Fact 1: A transplant is not a cure for kidney diseases, it is a treatment. Though the transplant can reduce the risk of chronic kidney diseases, you will need to follow a healthy lifestyle to reduce the possibility of diabetes, and cancer as well as other infections.
Myth 2: Younger people are eligible to get a kidney transplant
Fact 2: Anybody who is suffering from end-stage renal disease is the right candidate to get a kidney transplant.
Myth 3: The patient can die if the transplant fails
Fact 3: No. In case the transplant does not work the recipient can start or resume dialysis or pursue another transplant.
Myth 4: Anybody can be a living donor
Fact 4: According to the Indian transplant act, a living donor can only be the recipient’s first-degree blood relative, i.e. mother, father, brother, sister, or spouse on the emotional ground. All kidney transplant patients personally arrange their legal donor. According to the Indian transplant act, a living donor can only be the recipient’s first-degree blood relative, i.e. mother, father, brother, sister, or spouse on the emotional ground. All kidney transplant patients personally arrange their legal donor.
Myth 5: Dialysis is better than having a transplant done
Fact 5: Incorrect. Patients who have a transplant live longer than patients who stay on dialysis. The transplanted kidney works a whole day to remove total waste from the body. Dialysis removes a little amount of waste only when the dialysis machine works.
Prof (Dr) D Mukherjee is an alumnus of the prestigious Armed Forces Medical College, Pune where he did his MBBS & MD (Medicine). Subsequently he went on to do his DM (Nephrology) from PGIMER Chandigarh, which is the foremost training institution for nephrology in India.