Kidney Transplant
For someone on dialysis, a successful kidney transplant usually means a better life than continued dialysis does — more freedom, fewer restrictions, better long-term outlook. That is why pe…
For someone on dialysis, a successful kidney transplant usually means a better life than continued dialysis does — more freedom, fewer restrictions, better long-term outlook. That is why people travel for it. It is also why this is an area where patients are vulnerable, and where the ethical and legal framework matters as much as the surgery.
How transplantation works
In general terms, a kidney from a living or deceased donor is placed in the recipient, usually in the lower abdomen, and connected to the blood supply and bladder. Your own kidneys are typically left in place. Compatibility is established through blood group and tissue matching and cross-matching before anything proceeds.
Living donation is common in India and generally gives better outcomes than deceased-donor transplantation, in part because it can be planned. The donor lives normally with one kidney, but they are still a healthy person undergoing major surgery and their assessment is thorough for that reason.
The legal and ethical framework
Stated plainly, because it matters. Organ donation in India is governed by law. Living donation is permitted between specified relatives, or with authorisation committee approval where the relationship differs. Relationship documentation is scrutinised, approval takes time, and it is not an obstacle to be engineered around.
We will not assist with payment for an organ, an unrelated donor presented as a relative, or falsified documentation. This is illegal, it is exploitative of donors, and it is the reason this field carries the reputation it does. If any facilitator proposes it, walk away and report them.
Why the trip takes as long as it does
The indicative range is around four to six and a half weeks.
Evaluation — one to three weeks. Tissue typing and cross-matching, viral screening, cardiac assessment, imaging, and independent evaluation of the donor including psychological assessment. Committee approval where required runs in parallel.
Surgery and hospital stay — one to two weeks. Recipients typically spend a week or more in hospital with close monitoring of kidney function. Donors usually stay several days.
After discharge — two to three weeks nearby. Frequent blood tests while immunosuppression is adjusted. The early weeks are when rejection is most likely to be detected and dealt with, which is why you stay close.
What the written estimate covers
You receive an estimate naming the hospital, the transplant surgeon and their medical council registration number, the proposed procedure, a cost range and an expected timeline. It should state whether donor evaluation and donor surgery are included, what extended monitoring costs, and the ongoing cost of immunosuppression.
Check the medication question before you commit. Immunosuppression is lifelong, and whether it is available and affordable where you live determines whether the transplant remains viable years from now.
If something goes wrong
Rejection episodes, infection and delayed graft function are recognised parts of transplantation. Ask what the programme's process is for each, what an extended stay costs, what happens if the donor has a complication, and who bears those costs.
Our role: we are a facilitator. We match you to a programme, arrange logistics and stay contactable. We provide no medical care and carry no clinical responsibility; your contract is with the hospital and any clinical claim lies against them under Indian law. We do not assess donor suitability and do not influence committee decisions.
Dialysis, before and during
If you are on dialysis, tell us at the outset — it shapes the whole plan. Dialysis needs to continue during evaluation and up to surgery, and arranging compatible sessions at the hospital or nearby is part of what we coordinate rather than something to sort out on arrival.
Bring your dialysis records: schedule, access type, dry weight, recent bloods and any problems with your access. These are practical details that affect scheduling, and having them ready saves days.
Questions worth asking
- How is my donor assessed, and can they withdraw at any stage?
- What is the expected timeline including committee approval?
- Are donor costs inside the estimate?
- What immunosuppression will I be on, and what does it cost per year?
- How long must I stay nearby after discharge?
- Who manages my follow-up at home, and what will you send them?
Recovery and going home
You leave with the complete record — operative notes for both patients, tissue typing and cross-match results, the immunosuppression regimen with doses and target levels, baseline kidney function and a monitoring schedule. A nephrologist taking over your care needs all of it, not a summary.
Establish before you travel who will manage your follow-up at home and whether they will accept a transplant performed abroad. Most units expect to review recipients remotely for a long time afterwards, and we arrange that with the team that performed the operation.
This page is general information about a procedure and how travelling for it works. It is not medical advice and cannot account for your circumstances. Any decision about treatment should be made with a doctor who has reviewed your own reports.
Where this is done
We arrange this procedure at accredited multi-specialty hospitals in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Which hospital we recommend depends on your case — we name the hospital and the consultant surgeon, with their medical council registration number, in the written estimate before anything is booked.
Common questions
Who can donate a kidney to me?
Living donation in India is legally permitted between specified relatives, or with authorisation committee approval where the relationship is different. Documentation is scrutinised and approval takes time. We will not assist with payment for an organ, an unrelated donor presented as a relative, or falsified documents — it is illegal and exploitative, and any facilitator proposing it should be reported.
How long is the whole process?
The indicative range is four to six and a half weeks: one to three weeks of evaluation and committee approval, one to two weeks in hospital, then two to three weeks nearby for frequent monitoring while immunosuppression is adjusted. The early weeks after discharge are when rejection is most likely to be caught, which is why you stay close.
I am on dialysis — how does that work?
Tell us at the outset because it shapes the entire plan. Dialysis continues during evaluation and up to surgery, and arranging compatible sessions is part of what we coordinate rather than something to sort out on arrival. Bring your schedule, access type, dry weight, recent bloods and any access problems.
What are the ongoing costs after a transplant?
Lifelong immunosuppression plus regular monitoring. Check availability and affordability where you live before you commit, and confirm a local nephrology service will accept follow-up of a transplant performed abroad. These questions belong before the operation, not after.
Is the donor safe?
Donors live normally with one kidney, but they are healthy people undergoing major surgery, so assessment is thorough — independent evaluation, imaging, viral screening and psychological assessment including the right to withdraw at any stage. A programme rushing a donor is a reason to walk away.
What records should I leave with?
Operative notes for both patients, tissue typing and cross-match results, the immunosuppression regimen with doses and target levels, baseline kidney function and a monitoring schedule. A nephrologist taking over your care needs the detail, not a summary letter.
Related procedures
Send your reports for a written estimate
A specialist reviews your case and you get back the hospital, the surgeon, the cost range and how many days to plan for. Free, and nothing is booked until you say so.