The Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences (RMLIMS) in Lucknow has successfully performed its first ABO-incompatible (mismatched blood group) kidney transplant, becoming the second medical education institute in the state capital, after SGPGIMS, to perform such a procedure.

The transplant was done recently but the information was shared after the donor and recipient recovered fully. Prof Abhilash Chandra of the nephrology department said that the kidney transplant of a 26-year-old youth from Lakhimpur Kheri, who had B positive blood group, was done through the organ received from his 48-year-old mother with AB positive group.

Chandra said that usually, the recipient's immune system rejects the transplanted organ if her/his blood group does not match with that of the donor. However, in an ABO-incompatible transplant, the antibodies in the immune system that can reject the transplanted organ are removed through a special procedure before the surgery.

"In this case, the patient was put on immunosuppressants and his antibodies were removed through five plasmapheresis sessions before the transplant. The kidney of the donor was taken out through the laparoscopic method to avoid blood loss," said Dr Ishwar Dayal, head of urology department, who was also part of the team.

Another team member, nephrologist Dr Namrata Rao, said that in comparison to the conventional method, the ABO-incompatible transplant requires extra time for preparation and the cost is double because of the long hospital stay and drugs. But, the ABO-incompatible kidney is lifesaver for those patients who require urgent transplant but are not getting matching donors, she said.