Kidney Transplant Surgery Abroad

Long waiting lists and high medical costs in some countries have persuaded many patients to travel abroad for renal transplantation. Some countries offer expert nephrologists, but have no waiting lists, and offer lower prices.

To travel abroad for kidney transplant surgery, the patient must be accompanied by the living donor. In some countries, the donor must be a blood-relative. In Iran, the donor can be anyone with the same nationality as the recipient.

Kidney Transplant Surgery Abroad

How Much Does it Cost to Have a Kidney Transplant in Iran?

Despite its competent medical professionals, the cost of renal transplant surgery in Iran is among the lowest in the world. The cost of surgery, pre-surgery preparations, post-surgery checkups and medications are much lower compared to most countries. The surgery costs 10,000 USD across all government hospitals in Iran. Kidney transplant surgery package costs 14,000 – 19,000 USD. We assist you with an affordable and convenient kidney  transplant package in Iran. Make an enquiry for a free quote & more information.

Duration of Kidney Transplant Process in Iran

As kidney transplant surgery is a sensitive operation, in most countries, it takes a long time to get the necessary approvals to perform the operation. However, in Iran, the entire process will take 3-5 weeks:

pre-surgery preparations; including
pre-surgery checkups, medical & legal approval.
Minimum 7 to 14 days
Surgery 4-5 hours or more
Post surgery hospitalization for the donor Minimum 2 nights
Post surgery hospitalization for the recipient Minimum 7 nights
Post-hospitalization check-up in Iran for the recipient Minimum 7 nights

This is for cases where neither the donor nor the patient are found to have any underlying conditions. In this sense, the process in Iran is much quicker compared to most countries.

Best Hospital for a Kidney Transplant in Iran

Kidney transplant operation is crucially sensitive, both legally and medically. Therefore, only a handful of specialized government hospitals are approved to perform surgery.
We have experience working with some of the finest hospitals that perform this surgery, providing excellent medical care, in the shortest possible time.
We will help you choose the best hospital for your kidney transplant surgery in Iran.

Who Can Be a Donor?

If you are traveling abroad for a kidney transplant surgery, you will need to be accompanied by your living donor. In most countries, the donor must be a blood relative. In Iran, however, the regulations are less strict.

For renal transplantation in Iran, the donor and the recipient must be of the same nationality, that’s all. Donating a kidney to a person with a different nationality is illegal, as that would amount to Organ trafficking.

Who Can Be a Donor

Finding a Matching Donor

First, you need to find a person who is a close match for you and can donate their kidney to you. As we mentioned before, your donor must be a citizen of your country. While reviewing candidates, you will need the following tests to check if their kidney is a match:

Blood Type Test:

you can receive a kidney from compatible donors only:

Recipient blood type Donor blood type
O O only
A A and O
B B and O
AB All Blood types

the Rh factor (+ or -) of the blood does not matter. If the donor’s blood type is compatible with you, the donor can take the next test: tissue typing.

Tissue Typing (HLA):

If your blood types match, the next step is a tissue typing match called human leukocyte antigens (HLA). This test compares genetic markers which prolongs the likely lifetime of the transplanted kidney. A good match means your body is less likely to reject the kidney.

Crossmatch:

This includes mixing a small sample of your blood with the donor’s blood in the lab. This test will determine whether your blood’s antibodies will react against certain antibodies in the donor’s blood. If your blood serum destroys the donor’s cells, this is called a positive crossmatch, which means the transplant can’t be done. If you do so, the transplanted kidney will be rejected immediately.
A negative match will mean that they are compatible and that your body is less likely to reject the donor’s kidney.


Preparations for a Kidney Transplant in Iran

Medical Approval

Before the kidney transplant in Iran, the recipient and the donor must have a full physical checkup, which includes blood tests and body scans. The necessary tests must be taken in Iran. so, even if you have taken them in your country before, they must be repeated in Iran.

The process for getting pre-surgery medical approval includes:

  • Dental checkup
  • Cardio checkup
  • ENT checkup
  • Gastroenterology checkup
  • Endoscopy
  • Full kidney blood panel
  • Renal CT angiography
  • Final nephrology approval

The medical approval process optimally takes 12 to 14 working days to be finished. If any problems are found during any of the checkups, the duration will be extended to treat those problems.
Upon completion of the medical approval process, the hospital will issue a letter to the legal authorities, requesting permission for the kidney transplant operation.

Tissue Typing (HLA):

If your blood types match, the next step is a tissue typing match called human leukocyte antigens (HLA). This test compares genetic markers which prolongs the likely lifetime of the transplanted kidney. A good match means your body is less likely to reject the kidney.

Crossmatch:

This includes mixing a small sample of your blood with the donor’s blood in the lab. This test will determine whether your blood’s antibodies will react against certain antibodies in the donor’s blood. If your blood serum destroys the donor’s cells, this is called a positive crossmatch, which means the transplant can’t be done. If you do so, the transplanted kidney will be rejected immediately.
A negative match will mean that they are compatible and that your body is less likely to reject the donor’s kidney.


Kidney Transplant Post-op in Iran

The donor can be discharged within 2-3 days after the operation. The recipient will be transferred to an isolated room, to prevent infections. The recipient will be supervised for at least 7-14 days. During this time, the recipient will be isolated, and supervised by the transplant ward. During this time, kidney function will be monitored through blood tests (creatinine, urea, potassium, etc.) and monitoring the liquid intake and urine output. Based on this, the doctor may choose to keep the recipient for extended supervision or even discharge earlier.

anti-rejection Medication (Immunosuppressants)

After the transplant, the recipient’s body will detect the new kidney as an external object, thus commanding the immune system to destroy it. To prevent this, your nephrologist will prescribe you with immunosuppressants.

These are drugs that will reduce your immune system’s function. immunosuppressants will prevent the kidney from being rejected and destroyed by the immune system. the recipient will be on a lifetime regiment of immunosuppressants. Your doctor will prescribe regular blood tests to review how your body responds to these medicines, and adjust your medicine doses. Due to the use of immunosuppressants, transplant patients will have a reduced immune system, thereby having more difficulty fighting off infections, compared to other people.
For kidney transplant patients, post-surgery care is vital. While mistakes can shorten your kidney life expectancy, or even cause sudden renal failures, taking good care of yourself can help you to reach several decades of good quality life with your new kidney.

Patient Testimonial

PATIENT STORY . NOV | 2022
Iran: A Country I Never Imagined Would Come To Our Rescue

Sarah, who accompanied Zishaan through his medical journey, shares her story of how the family came to look outside of South Africa for a solution, and how they found Iran a very suitable solution for Zishaan's daunting and fatal problem.

Zishaan-medipars
PATIENT STORY . NOV | 2022
A Life-Changing Journey For a Kidney Transplant

Zishan, 18 years old, from South Africa, came to Iran with his family for a kidney transplant. Watch Zishan and his father tell you about their journey to Iran with Medipars.

Kidney Transplant

Enquire Now

    Obviously, it’s much better if you can have a kidney transplant, as you won’t have to go through dialysis several times a week.

    You can search in your country and the internet for a kidney donor who is biologically eligible (hyperlink) to donate his kidney to you.

    It may vary depending on the age of the donor and patient, as well as many other factors. On average, a kidney received from a living donor can last for 20-25 years, while a kidney received from a deceased donor can last 15-20 years. To ensure a longer life, Post-transplant care (hyperlink to the text above, and later the article) is very important. In some cases, a transplanted kidney has worked up to 40 years.

    Although diabetes will affect the kidneys if the tests point to suitable conditions, and with a doctor’s approval, you can receive a kidney from a diabetic person as well and there will be no problems.

    Yes, after taking the necessary tests, you can receive a kidney from someone who is younger or older than you. the optimal donor age is 18-60 years old.

    The low cost of travel and the cost of living in Iran, along with the high standard of hospital hygiene, has created a good opportunity in Iran. While this process can take several months in most other countries, in optimal conditions, the whole process of a kidney transplant will take less than 3 weeks in Iran, including all medical and legal approvals.

    transplant success rate depends on initial pre-surgery conditions and the quality of the surgery. Also, intensive care after a kidney transplant increases the success rate.

    you will be at the hospital for about 7-14 days for observation after the surgery. During this time, kidney function will be studied through regular blood tests and urinalysis. Kidney transplant patients are particularly vulnerable. Simple infections can become very serious and mistakes with your medicine usage can have serious consequences including renal failure. post kidney transplant surgery care

    you can go back to work in about 4 months, however, special medical situations may vary. /p>

    physically intense labor (including lifting heavy objects) and working in polluted environments are prohibited for kidney transplant patients.

    physically intense labor (including lifting heavy objects) and working in polluted environments are prohibited for kidney transplant patients.

    your new kidney will be transplanted below the ribcage. As a result, it will be very vulnerable to impact. So you are advised to discontinue any activity where your kidney could receive external impact, like a ball hitting you, or having an accident where the wheel will hit your kidney. activities you can’t continue after kidney transplant surgery: driving, basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, martial arts, … activities you can continue after kidney transplant surgery: solo activities, such as walking, running, swimming, yoga, aerobics, etc…

    old age severe heart problems active or recently cured cancer dementia or uncontrolled mental diseases alcohol or drugs abuse any other issue affecting the safety of the procedure and post-transplant medicines, and increased likelihood of rejection

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