With the significant rise in the incidences of renal failure due to Chronic Kidney Diseases (CKD) there is an urgent need to raise awareness among the masses. In view of the same, doctors from Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh organized a public awareness session today.

The number of patients suffering from CKD has almost doubled in the past decade and is continuing to rise at a rapid pace. While the major risk factors adding to the burden of kidney disease in India include diabetes and hypertension, attributing to over 60% of the cases of CKD, and with such an alarming rise, the prevalence is expected to grow further.

Kidney failure or Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a progressive disease that occurs when the kidneys are unable to filter the waste and toxins from the bloodstream irreversibly, over a period of time. Though the condition is incurable, with the timely detection and early treatment, the progression of the disease can be slowed down.

Cases of Chronic Kidney disease need to be diagnosed at early stages for early treatment and effective management through medications. Devoid of timely screening, many patients present with advanced progression and at later stages where dialysis or renal transplant remains the last resort.

“Most of the kidney failure patients are on maintenance dialysis awaiting a kidney transplant and one in three patients don’t have a compatible donor in their family. As, most people do not have any symptoms of the progression of the disease, until the advanced stages, it is important to get tested annually. Once the patient reaches end-stage renal disease, the patient would require lifelong dialysis or a renal transplant. Having state-of-the-art infrastructure with a separate organ transplant unit, with comprehensive care for kidney disease, the availability of top-class dialysis services with the latest hemodialysis machines are a boon for patients on dialysis. Experts at Max Hospital Shalimar Bagh are highly experienced in performing ABO-incompatible transplants (both living and cadaveric). Offering quality healthcare services along with cutting-edge technology, Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, has already established itself as the chosen tertiary care facility for kidney patients. Regular health check-ups for screening of such conditions in the early phase are a must as this will not only help reduce the financial burden on the patient but also on the society, as a whole” said Dr. Manoj Arora – Principal Consultant, Nephrology & Kidney Transplant Medicine Max Hospital Shalimar Bagh.

Lack of awareness about this disease is one of the major factors contributing to irreversible morbidity and mortality, making this the most under-reported and under-recognized ailments in India. Masses should be made aware that with timely detection, and advanced treatment modules in the field of nephrology, management of this disease can curb the morbidity and mortality rate.

“There are various factors due to which there is a rise in a number of individuals being detected with chronic kidney diseases such as sedentary lifestyle, uncontrolled diabetes, stressful life leading to uncontrolled hypertension, drug abuse, and unmonitored use of painkillers, etc. This is due to unawareness among the common people about various precautionary steps, key symptoms, and treatment coupled with limited access to high-end healthcare expertise and infrastructure. Increasing awareness about brain death & organ donation will go a long way in bridging the gap between requirement and availability. In comparison to patients on dialysis, patients undergoing kidney transplants have a better and longer quality of life. Also, in the long run, getting a transplant is more economical than getting dialysis on a regular basis” said Dr. Yogesh Chhabra – Senior Consultant, Nephrology & Kidney Transplant Medicine Max Hospital Shalimar Bagh.

“Nowadays Kidney transplant surgery has become much easier and has fewer complications since the advent of laparoscopy and robotics. ABO-incompatible (ABO) transplantation is a method of organ transplantation that permits the use of available donors regardless of the blood type. Almost 1/3rd patients don’t have a blood group compatible donor in the family. Hence, the need to perform ABO-incompatible transplantation has become the latest demand in the medical field. The advent of Robot-assisted surgeries has ensured better management of intra-operative complications and has become better and safer. In the last few years, there have been many advances in renal replacement and organ support. Robot-Assisted Renal Transplantation has become extremely useful as it results in quicker recovery, less pain, and smaller scar with quicker healing” said Dr. Waheed Zaman – Director, Urology & Kidney Transplant Surgeon, Max Hospital Shalimar Bagh.

Laparoscopic donor Nephrectomy is the donor surgery of choice nowadays. With these advanced surgeries, the incisions are very small and do not cause any problem post-surgery, there is no problem faced by the donor also, as they can lead their normal life within a week. Similarly, the recipient also makes a good and early postoperative recovery.

Over 2 lakh patients with chronic kidney failure are awaiting kidney while hardly around 10000 transplantations take place annually. This huge demand for renal transplantation is attributed to a lack of awareness about the advancements made in this field, and people being skeptical about their personal well-being post-donation. Therefore, it is important to understand that by donating one kidney, none of their physical abilities, quality of life, or longevity will be affected.