Lanka Hospitals performs 400th kidney transplant

By Cheranka Mendis

At 44 years old, Upali Kodithuwakku is an ex-police officer, a car sales broker and a father of a beautiful 15 year old daughter. At 44, he has had three kidneys working in his body, one his own, another which he received 19 years ago and the latest that he received last month. The 400th kidney transplant patient receiving care at Lanka Hospitals, Kodithuwakku is a happy man today and considers himself extremely lucky to be on his way to complete recovery.

Approaching Lanka Hospitals when the previous transplant got rejected 19 years after working alongside his other organs, Kodithuwakku was ‘very sick’ when he sought support at the hospital, so much so that an in-depth evaluation was needed before proceeding with the operation. Thanks to the team at Lanka Hospitals, he said he “feels much better now” and is eagerly anticipating returning to the life he knows best to support his wife and daughter.

“It was after hearing of Lanka Hospitals’ track record in renal care that I made this decision with confidence,” he said. “Today, I’m well on my way to recovery after a successful transplant and stand as testimony to the fact that Lanka Hospitals’ kidney care centre is indeed the best in the country and I would definitely recommend it to anyone seeking world class care.”

Kodithuwakku is one of many who has gone away happy from Lanka Hospitals, a new kidney in place and with hope for the future.

 Numbers

Starting the kidney transplant unit in September 2003, the hospital has had no failures on its record of 400 patients, of which 50 are foreign patients. The number also signifies that Lanka Hospitals has done more kidney transplants than transplants performed by all private hospitals in Sri Lanka.

Last year alone, a total of 79 transplants were done at Lanka Hospitals which included those for a 10-year-old and a 70-year-old. This year so far, 15 transplants have been conducted. Having invested in a Laparoscopic Donor Nephrectomy, the hospital is able to remove kidneys from the donor with the smallest of cuts over, and above its focus on haemodialysis, kidney transplantation and dialysis.

 Increasing risks for kidney failures

Currently, the number of kidney failure is increasing in the country despite peoples’ desire to live a longer life, the hospital’s Vascular and Transplant Surgeon Prof. Mandika Wijerathne said. “Despite what many believe, even if the patient is 70 or 80 years old, they want to live longer and they ask for a transplant.”

It has been identified that in developing countries, the risk of kidney failures is much more, Consultant Neurologist Dr. A.L.M. Nazaar added. “There are a lot of 20-30 year olds with bad kidneys in countries that are growing and are aggressive in its development. This is something we have noticed over time.”

Speaking on the issue of increasing numbers in the North Central area, Wijerathne commented that the cause is likely to be a poison that is in the water in the area. “It is something in their ingestion.” Research is now being carried out to find the actual cause of it, he said.

According to reports last year, close to 15% of the population in the North Central province, who are mainly rice farmers, have been affected.

 What triggers kidney issues

Kidney failure is a silent killer, Wijerathne said. “You will only start feeling something after 60% of the kidney is affected. Most are unaware of the causes, others ignore the symptoms,” he said.

The most common causes of kidney disease include diabetes and high blood pressure, while hardening of the arteries (which damages the blood vessels in the kidney), is also a cause of concern. “It takes 10-20 years for a kidney to come to a stage of failure. If identified at earlier stages, medication could be given to reduce the impact.”

While dialysis is only a temporary treatment which keeps the kidneys going until a suitable organ is identified, a transplant is the best and only option for quality living in case of failures, he acknowledged.

By maintaining regular check-ups, a person will be able to identify the issue and take medication in time. “Almost 50% of the time, it is because they haven’t controlled diabetics.”

Some kidney diseases are caused by an inflammation of the kidneys due to an infection or to an autoimmune reaction where the body’s immune or defence system attacks and damages the kidneys. Other kidney diseases can be caused by anatomic disorders, metabolic disorders or medication that is toxic to the kidney tissue.

 Medical superiority of Lanka Hospitals

Noting that the hospital is well on its way to become the best in Southeast Asia, setting new standards for Sri Lanka’s health industry and creating a new benchmark of world-class care, Lanka Hospitals CEO Lakith Peiris pointed out that the 400th successful completion speaks volumes about the medical superiority of the hospital.

“Performing a kidney transplant involves both the donor and recipient and is a complex surgery,” he said. It involves great teamwork, skill, expertise, sharing of knowledge, excellent pre and post care, excellent medical teams, support services, timely and accurate lab services, pre and post counselling of patient and family, and screening of donors and recipients to ensure that the hospital operates within the laws of the country, within medical ethics and social responsibility.

“Only hospitals on par with some of the best hospital models in the world are able to achieve such a milestone,” Peiris acknowledged.

 Treatments offered

The Lanka Hospitals Kidney Transplant Unit at the Kidney Care Centre has four different transplant teams with each team comprising of a nephrologist, transplant surgeon and anaesthetists. The centre performs kidney transplants for paediatric and elderly patients, as well as performing laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, repeated transplants and also carrying out cadaver transplants.

The standard treatments carried out at the centre include haemodialysis – both high flux and low flux which temporarily eliminates harmful body waste, extra salt and extra water, controls blood pressure and maintains proper chemical balance; peritoneal dialysis which filters waste, chemicals, and extra water from the body using the lining of the abdomen to filter the blood; and dialysis catheter insertion, the process by which blood is transferred between the Haemodialysis machine and the patient.

“The patients coming to Lanka Hospitals’ Kidney Care Centre are treated by the most experienced and respected nephrologists in the country. In addition, patients can expect nothing but the most luxurious treatment complemented with the best nursing care from highly trained nurses and administrative staff,” Peiris said.

The unit also boasts of the latest state-of-the-art medical equipment and has a separate transplant ICU with dedicated doctors and nurses 24 hours a day, fully geared to handle medical emergencies.

Pix by Lasantha Kumara