Looking For Effective Ways To Cover Your Kidney Transplant Costs? (Here are few new ways to raise funds for it)

By Akshay Sharma September 25, 2017 Health

Kidney transplants have become increasingly common. Kidneys, meant to filter waste and toxins from the blood in our bodies, are constantly active, and are at a higher risk of damage due to bad diets and lifestyle habits. Even though human beings are born with two kidneys, it is possible to live with just one. This is why kidney transplants – is one of the few kinds of transplants that can be performed with a living donor. The Ministry of Health in India has estimated that annually around 1- 2 lakh people require a kidney transplant, however only 5000 actually get one.

Two crucial reasons bring down the number of kidney transplants in India – lack of an organ donor and lack of funds.

Often, patients are put on a long waiting list and have to wait anywhere between 6-months to a year to get the organ. If they turn out to be one of the lucky few who get an organ, they often struggle with arranging for the high cost of the surgery.

A kidney transplant in India costs anywhere between 12- 25 lakhs.

Many people just drop out of treatment due to exorbitantly high kidney transplant costs. There is a lack of awareness about various ways to raise funds to cover kidney transplant costs. Sometimes, it is hard to find accurate information about kidney transplant costs and the available options to fund them. For your help, we have tried to cover costs of kidney transplant pre and post surgery, ways to fund kidney transplant cost, transplant facilities in India and more.

The causes and symptoms of Kidney Failure are not commonly known to many. Many find out about the problem at a much later stage, which decreases their chances for cure. Here are some common causes and symptoms of kidney transplant for you to know and get help in time!

Kidney Transplant

When a kidney is damaged, it is unable to regulate water levels in the blood stream, and remove unwanted wastes from the body, consequently leading to a buildup of toxins that spiral into many other health problems. Excess strain on the kidney filters could eventually lead to kidney failure, meaning that the patient will require a kidney transplant.

What can cause kidney diseases?

Awareness of the potential causes of kidney failure may help individuals change certain lifestyle habits that put them at greater risk of kidney problems. Here are some of those causes:

Urine Elimination problems

When urine is not eliminated efficiently, it can interfere with the functioning of the kidney, causing damage or failure.

Diabetes

According to the National Kidney Foundation India, diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure. High levels of blood sugar make the kidneys filter too much blood. This extra work is hard on the kidney filter resulting in kidney disease.

High blood pressure

High blood pressure can cause arteries around the kidneys to narrow, weaken or harden.

Glomerulonephritis

Glomerulonephritis is a disease that damages the kidney’s’ filtering units, called the glomeruli. It is caused by infections such as Wagner’s disease, strep throat.

Kidney Cancer

Kidney cancer is also known as renal cancer, is caused by the uncontrolled growth of cancerous cells in a person’s kidneys.

Genetics

Some inherited and congenital kidney diseases result from genetic factors. Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), for example, is a genetic disorder in which many cysts grow in the kidneys.

You might have kidney damage if you see the following symptoms.

These are only a few common symptoms, you might not see all and at the same time having one or two of these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean you have Kidney damage.

Chronic fatigue

Insomnia

Dry and itchy skin

Appetite loss, nausea, or vomiting

Swollen ankles and feet

Foam or blood in the urine

Swollen face and puffy eyes

Bad breath

What are the various ways kidney diseases can be treated?

In most cases, there is no actual cure for kidney damage. The medical professionals usually aim to control signs and symptoms, reduce complications, and slow down the progression of the disease. If the kidneys become severely damaged, one may need treatment for end-stage kidney disease or kidney failure, which could include dialysis, and/or kidney transplant.

Medications

Medications are prescribed to manage the actual cause of the kidney problem, such as – high blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, diabetes medication.

Dialysis

Dialysis is a medical procedure that substitutes the natural function of a kidney. Dialysis artificially remove the toxins from his/her blood.

Kidney cancer treatments

Most cancers are treated by procedures that include radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or even surgery to remove the affected part of the kidney or the tumor.

Kidney transplant

As far as kidney treatments go, transplants are usually the last resort to curing renal failure. Even though human beings are born with two kidneys, it is possible to live with just one, which is why kidneys are the most commonly transplanted organs of the human body. However, it is the kidney transplant cost that makes it unaffordable by many patients.

Kidney transplant procedure

Kidney transplantation involves placing a healthy kidney into the body where it can perform all of the functions that a failing kidney cannot. In most of the cases, old kidneys are not removed from the body and new kidney is placed on the lower right or left side of your abdomen where it is surgically connected to nearby blood vessels as shows in the image:

Kidney Transplant Cost

Pre-Kidney transplant costs:

There are lots of tests that needs to be done before your kidney transplant takes place:
1. Blood typing compatibility
2. Tissue typing
3. Urine test
4. Cross matching
5. X-rays

Kidney transplant costs during the kidney transplant surgery:

Medical kidney transplant costs:

Stay in the intensive care unit during recovery period
Anesthesia
Fees of surgeon and other medical professionals
Drugs and other medication

Non-medical kidney transplant costs:

Food and lodging expenses for your family members
Transportation to transplant centre, before and after your transplant
Yours and your family member’s lost wages

Post-Kidney transplant costs:

After the transplant, you will need several drugs known as immunosuppressants or anti-rejection drugs to decrease the chances of rejection of newly transplanted kidney by your body.

Kidney transplant cost in India Vs. kidney transplant cost in other countries

Kidney transplant costs in India:

Kidney transplant cost in India are approximately 12-15 lakhs depending on the location of the hospital, type of the hospital (government or private) complications in surgery etc.

Kidney transplant cost in other countries:

According to flymedi guide.com, Kidney transplant costs around the world are very high compared to India.

Kidney Transplant Cost in USA is approximately (INR) 65 lakhs, kidney transplant cost in China is 30 lakhs. But for the majority of Indians kidney transplant costs are still unaffordable.

Ways to raise funds for kidney transplant cost:

We have put down a few ways to fund kidney transplant costs in India. You can refer to them and decide which one suits you best.

Traditional ways to raise funds for kidney transplant:

1. Personal Loans/Medical loans to fund kidney transplant costs: The procedure to apply for loans is tedious as it requires a long process of documentation and verification. One of the drawback of loans is that the individual or family is burdened with repaying the debt at high interest rates.

2. Medical insurance to cover kidney transplant costs: As for medical insurances, a majority of the population doesn’t even have insurance. Moreover, insurance does not work in urgent situation and not everybody can afford high premium amount to carry forward the medical insurance.

3. Online crowdfunding for kidney transplant cost: Online crowdfunding is the method to raise funds on digital crowdfunding platforms through friends, family and the compassionate online donor community. You can refer to this guide this to know crowdfunding works.