First-ever third kidney transplant on same patient in Nepal

BHAKTAPUR: The Shahid Dharmabhakta National Transplant Center in Bhaktapur has successfully performed a kidney transplant on the same person for the third time.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, the center’s Executive Director, Dr Pukar Chandra Shrestha, said this was the first case in Nepal where a patient had undergone three successful kidney transplants.

Dr Shrestha explained that while a third kidney transplant is highly complex, its success demonstrates that even advanced transplants are now possible in Nepal.

The procedure was carried out on September 25 for former Sudurpaschim Province minister and provincial assembly member Laxman Kishor Chaudhary. He has already been discharged from the hospital.

“Normally, a transplanted kidney functions well for a long time after the first surgery. However, complications such as immunological rejection, infection, chronic allograft nephropathy and other medical issues can cause kidney failure, requiring a second transplant. A third transplant, however, is extremely rare,” Dr Shrestha said. “Due to technical difficulties, medical challenges, the scarcity of donors and increased risks, third transplants are performed only in very limited cases worldwide. Having gained experience with such high-risk surgeries in the UK, I was able to lead this successful case in Nepal. We are now capable of handling complex transplants.”

Chaudhary’s first kidney transplant was performed in Lucknow, India, while his second, performed in 2015, and the third transplant were all carried out under Dr Shrestha’s leadership at the Shahid Dharmabhakta National Transplant Center.

The third transplant was conducted under a “paired exchange” program, where organ swapping is done between unrelated donors and recipients.

According to the center, the second transplants in Nepal were first pioneered at Bir Hospital in 2010 under Dr Shrestha’s leadership.

Since its establishment 13 years ago, the transplant center has successfully performed 1,502 kidney transplants and 35 liver transplants so far.