After 22 years on Insulin, 25-year-old undergoes pancreas-kidney transplant at Nanavati Max Hospital

Mumbai: Doctors at Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital have given a new lease of life to 25-year-old Rishi Sharma, a student from Kolkata who had been battling with Type-1 diabetes since the age of three.

He underwent a successful Simultaneous Pancreas-Kidney (SPK) transplant, which has relieved him from lifelong insulin injections and dialysis.

The complex four-hour surgery was performed by a multidisciplinary team of doctors, led by Dr Jatin Kothari, Senior Director, Nephrology & Chief Consultant, Renal Transplant Medicine, and Dr Gaurav Chaubal, Director, Liver & Multi-Organ Transplant from Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai.

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Rishi had been dependent on multiple insulin injections daily since childhood. Over the years, uncontrolled diabetes led to progressive complications, including eye damage, stunted growth, and ultimately end-stage kidney failure almost 3 years back, making him completely dependent on dialysis. Despite dialysis, his condition was deteriorating, and then his family approached Nanavati Max Hospital.

Post thorough evaluation, it was revealed that he needed a simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant to lead a healthy life. He was then registered on the organ transplant waitlist, and after six months, he got a call for surgery.

Through the cadaveric organ donation of a 41-year-old patient, who had been declared brain dead at Nanavati Max Hospital following internal bleeding in the skull, the organs were retrieved for transplant. The donor’s family consented to donate his organs, fit for transplant: pancreas, kidneys, liver, and heart. Rishi was found to be an ideal match for both the kidneys and pancreas.

Speaking about the case, Dr Jatin Kothari, Senior Director, Nephrology & Chief Consultant, Renal Transplant Medicine, Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai, said, “Not every individual with diabetic kidney failure qualifies for this simultaneous procedure. Pancreas-Kidney transplant is recommended only for patients with insulin-dependent Type-1 diabetes who have developed end-stage kidney disease.

By transplanting both organs together, we were able to not only treat his kidney failure but also correct the root metabolic defect, thereby freeing him from insulin dependence. The surgery went on for four hours, and the patient was discharged 21 days post-operative.”

Dr Gaurav Chaubal, Director, Liver & Multi-Organ Transplant, Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai, who performed the transplant, said, “It is commendable that, in the face of a grave tragedy, the family decided to donate the organs of their loved one and gave a new lease of life to four individuals with end-stage organ failure. The case also highlights the importance of an organised deceased-donor programme and centres with the depth of experience, technology, and clinical governance that our hospital offers.”

Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital has been running successful multi-organ transplant programmes for patients suffering from end-stage diseases. The hospital remains committed to expanding advanced transplant care for patients across India.

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