Q: I am a kidney patient who has been on peritoneal dialysis for the past two years. My nephrologist suggested that I should go in for kidney transplant at the earliest as I am still quite healthy. Now my problem is that I don't have any near and dear relative that can donate me one. Plus I am in a quandry as where to have the operation, here in Calcutta or Chennai or Vellore. I want to have this operation at the earliest. Please advise me as to where to have it and how soon can I have it.

A:It is indeed an unfortunate situation. However, none of the centres will be able to help you without a potential donor. Some centres like the All India Institute Of Medical Sciences have a cadaver transplant programme where you can register yourself. Under this programme,in case a person is brain dead but has a beating heart and the relatives of that person wish to donate the kidney, then it is checked as to who could be the potential recipients from the registry with whom the best possible match could be made. Understandably, it is a matter of chance and by and large a rare situation. Even though you can register yourself for it, for practical purposes you would have to rely on dialysis. Since peritoneal dialysis can not go on indefinitely, a long term solution would perhaps be hemodialysis.