Apollo Speciality Hospitals, Madurai, has successfully performed an ABO-incompatible living-donor kidney transplant on a 40-year-old O-positive man who received a kidney from his A-positive wife.
The patient had a high anti-A antibody titre of 1:256. After developing lower-limb cellulitis following the first plasma exchange session, the transplant was postponed for about a month until the infection was resolved.
The team then used antigen-specific immunoadsorption to selectively remove anti-A antibodies. The titre was reduced from 1:256 to 1:8, enabling successful transplantation.
The multidisciplinary team included Lead Nephrologist Dr. Arun Prasath P, Dr. Saravanan R, Dr. Alagappan, Urologists Dr. Arun Kumar J, Dr. Shankar K and Dr. Vishnuraja R, CTVS Surgeon Dr. Sridhar V, Anaesthesiologists Dr. Rikesh and Dr. Vasanth, and Intensivist Dr. Ayappan.
Dr. Arun Prasath P said the targeted approach enabled transplantation despite the initial immunological and clinical challenges.
Dr. Nikhil Tiwari, CEO, Apollo Hospitals – ROTN, and Dr. P. Shobana, Medical Superintendent, Apollo Speciality Hospitals, Madurai, highlighted the role of advanced technology and multidisciplinary teamwork.
