The Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) is seeking three additional posts of urologists, in addition to the present two, for carrying out kidney transplantations. A proposal to this effect has been submitted to the Directorate of Medical Education.
Hospital sources told The Hindu here on Wednesday that at present, kidney transplantations were being performed only in private hospitals in Coimbatore. However, all such transplants must be approved by a committee.
The infrastructure to perform transplantation was being created in the new centenary block. Being constructed at a cost of Rs. 50 crore, the centenary building has five blocks, accommodating nearly 1,000 beds besides several super-specialities and was likely to be completed by June 2014.
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A hospital official said that a twin table operating theatre was being established at the urology and nephrology super speciality ward.
For kidney transplantation, two teams of surgeons, anaesthetists and technicians are needed to operate simultaneously, one to remove the kidney from the donor and another to place it in the recipient.
A vascular surgeon might also be needed for this procedure in some cases. This procedure was the only long-term solution for patients suffering from chronic renal failure. However, even with a kidney from a relative with a very good tissue match, the chances for rejection were as high as 20 per cent. Even in successful cases, the patients will have to take medicines life-long.
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Sources said that a sub-committee chaired by the CMCH Dean approved kidney transplantations only in cases when the donor was a relative of the recipient. All other cases would have to get permission from the Authorisation Committee which was chaired by the Director of Medical Education and had the Director of Medical and Rural Health Services and Dean of Madras Medical College as members.