Q: I would like to know how does a lay patient find a qualified kidney transplant surgeon. What are the necessary qualifications and training for these surgeons?

A:Any hospital doing transplantation has to be authorised by the government to do transplants legally and no hospitals can start it unless they have received such permission. The authorisation process involves inspection of the hospital, laboratory services, operation theaters, qualifications and experience of the doctors and other team members. A transplant surgeon must be a urologist, trained in kidney transplant programme or a degree holder with transplant surgery fellowship from a reputed and recognised centre (for kidney transplantation).