- Doctors at AIIMS Delhi performed a rare simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant after 18 years
- The 30-year-old patient had end-stage renal disease due to long-term Type 1 diabetes
- Organs were procured from a deceased donor in Rohtak and transported via a police green corridor
Doctors at AIIMS, Delhi, have successfully performed a simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant after a gap of 18 years, marking a significant milestone in advanced organ transplantation in the country. The complex surgery was carried out on a 30-year-old patient suffering from end-stage renal disease caused by long-standing Type 1 diabetes mellitus, Dr V K Bansal, professor in the Department of Surgery at AIIMS, Delhi, said. The procedure, conducted on April 14, involved transplantation of both kidney and pancreas from a dead donor, enabling restoration of kidney function and reducing dependence on insulin therapy.
"The surgery was completed successfully, and the patient is currently stable with good graft function and normal blood glucose levels with minimal insulin requirement," he said.
The surgery was performed by Dr Bansal and Dr Asuri Krishna from the Department of Surgery, along with Dr Sanjeet Rai and Dr Sushant Soren as part of the surgical team.
Support was provided by Dr Ashish Sharma and Dr Deepesh from the renal transplant department of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh.
The anaesthesia team was led by Dr Rahul Anand and Dr Nishant, while nephrology support was provided by Dr D Bhowmik and Dr Sandeep Mahajan.
Endocrinology support came from Dr Nikhil Tandon, Head of the Department of Endocrinology and presently director of the institute.
The donor was a 50-year-old brain-dead individual identified at Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak.
The major challenges included the procurement of organs from PGIMS Rohtak and timely transfer to AIIMS, which was accomplished with the help of Haryana and Delhi Police, creating a green corridor, Dr Krishna explained.
"The recipient was a frail patient with compromised cardiac function and required intense monitoring both during and after surgery.
"The procedure involved placement of two organs rather than one, which added to the technical complexity. The pancreas is a very fragile organ and utmost care had to be taken during its handling. The team at AIIMS, through a coordinated effort, was able to overcome all these challenges, resulting in a life-changing outcome for the patient," Dr Krishna said.
Calling simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplantation the "gold standard treatment" for selected patients with Type 1 diabetes and kidney failure, Dr Bansal said the procedure remains technically demanding and requires specialised surgical expertise, intensive perioperative care and strong immunosuppressive management.
"This accomplishment underscores AIIMS New Delhi's commitment to advancing cutting-edge medical care and reinforces its position as a leader in organ transplantation in India," he said.
The anaesthetic management of this patient presented exceptional challenges, more so due to his underlying heart condition, Dr Rahul Anand, Professor in the Department of Anaesthesiology at AIIMS, Delhi, said.
"He had dilated cardiomyopathy with biventricular dysfunction and a severely reduced ejection fraction of 25 per cent, all indicating that the function of both ventricles of the heart was highly compromised. An important anaesthetic goal was to maintain optimal cardiac output while avoiding both excess fluids -- which can lead to cardiac failure -- and too little fluid, which could compromise transplanted organ function and thus patient outcome. Intraoperative fluids were therefore meticulously titrated," he added.
Anaesthetic agents were carefully selected so as to maintain depth of anaesthesia and keep vitals stable. Advanced haemodynamic monitoring (to monitor blood pressure, heart rate and other haemodynamic parameters), point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to detect fluid in the lungs, and transthoracic echocardiography to monitor heart function were employed during the surgery, the institute said.
Following placement of the pancreatic allograft, blood glucose levels were closely and more frequently monitored to prevent and detect hypoglycaemia (very low blood sugar), which is also an indicator of graft function.
Anaesthetic drugs were carefully chosen to avoid any drugs that may hamper the function of the transplanted kidney.
Doctors also acknowledged the contribution of the donor's family.
"The selfless decision of the donor's family made this life-saving procedure possible," Dr Krishna said.
According to government data, India faces a significant gap between demand and availability of organs for transplantation.
While lakhs of patients suffer from end-stage organ failure every year, only a fraction receive transplants due to low organ donation rates, Dr Krishna said.
Officials estimate that nearly two lakh people require kidney transplants annually in India, but only around 10,000-12,000 transplants are performed each year.
Similarly, the demand for liver, heart and pancreas transplants continues to far exceed supply, Dr Krishna stated.
Health experts have repeatedly stressed the need to increase awareness about dead organ donation, strengthen transplant infrastructure and improve coordination among hospitals to bridge the widening demand-supply gap.
India's dead organ donation rate remains below one donor per million population, significantly lower than several developed countries, making awareness and public participation crucial for saving lives through transplantation.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
