NEW DELHI: A 47-year-old scientist working in the Union ministry of defence got a rare, successful kidney transplant for the third time. Devendra Barlewar‘s body now holds five kidneys, of which only one functions.
Barlewar got a kidney for the third time after the family of a brain-dead farmer consented to a multi-organ donation, including the kidney of the deceased. How Barlewar came to have five kidneys — three of which are donated — and the surgical complications that transplanting the organ entailed is why this is a rare occurrence.
Medical experts noted that a third transplant is rare, primarily because finding matching donors thrice in one’s lifetime is almost unheard of. The need to create additional space for the new organ is also a difficulty that doctors at Amrita Hospital in Faridabad had to account for.
The doctors said that the third donated kidney was positioned on the right side between the existing native and other transplanted kidneys.
Barlewar has long battled chronic kidney disease (CKD) and required consistent dialysis support. His transplant journey began in 2010. His first donated kidney came from his mother. It lasted about a year before dialysis became necessary again. His second transplant was done in 2012. This organ was donated by a relative. Till 2022, the organ functioned fine. Then Barlewar contracted Covid-19. It forced him back into dialysis. This time, no living donor was available. The scientist enlisted for an organ from a deceased donor in 2023.
Dr Anil Sharma, senior consultant and head of urology at Amrita Hospital, led the intricate surgery on Jan 9 after a brain-dead donor with a compatible blood type was identified. The four-hour procedure resulted in successful kidney function with urine production.
After the surgery, the patient required no dialysis, Dr Sharma said. The team monitored Barlewar for possible signs of the body’s rejection of the organ or surgical complications such as bleeding. Happily for Barlewar, the hospital released him after 10 days as he had achieved normal kidney function.
Dr Sharma outlined several challenges. Prolonged chronic kidney disease and previous failed transplants increase organ rejection risks for a patient. The procedure required precise immunosuppressive treatment to prevent rejection while managing for infection risk. The presence of four existing kidneys also complicated the placement of the fifth organ. An existing incisional hernia added to the difficulty. The procedure demanded careful planning for vascular connections, as blood vessels from previous transplants were already utilised.
When TOI spoke to him, Barlewar, now weighing 44 kg, expressed relief about not requiring dialysis. He acknowledged the scarcity of kidney donors. He was aware of his good fortune that he got a third kidney, when even obtaining one is challenging to most people. To him, this seemed like divine intervention, a third chance at life.
He said that after a three-month rest, he would resume regular activities.
