NIMS doctors perform 1,000 kidney transplants in a decade

Doctors from the urology department of Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) Hyderabad.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The Urology department at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) Hyderabad today announced that they have completed 1,000 kidney transplants over the past decade, marking a significant milestone in the institution’s renal transplant programme.

In 2024, the department conducted 101 transplants till date, consisting of 55 live-related donor transplants and 46 deceased donor transplants. All of these procedures were provided free-of-cost under Aarogyasri, funded by the Government of Telangana.

“The NIMS renal transplant programme, established in 1989, has been a beacon of hope for patients across the region. Since 2015, the pace of transplants has accelerated with the introduction of the Jeevandan cadaver transplant programme, allowing the urology team to perform 1,000 kidney transplants, including numerous paediatric cases,” said Dr Rahul Devraj, Professor and HOD of Urology Department at NIMS.

The team has performed over 100 kidney transplants annually for the past ten years, with the exception of 2020 due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr Rahul added that since its inception, NIMS has completed a total of 1,730 kidney transplants, with over 1,200 surgeries conducted since 2012 alone.

In addition to kidney transplants, the Urology department at NIMS also performs between 900 to 1,000 other urological procedures every month. These include surgeries for renal stones, prostate issues, cancer, reconstructive urology, paediatric urology and robotic surgeries. What sets NIMS apart from other centres is its integrated approach — while many hospitals maintain separate units for transplant and general urological surgeries, NIMS operates with a unified team, allowing them to handle complex transplants alongside routine urological procedures, explained Dr Rahul.

On multiple occasions, the team has conducted two or more kidney transplants in a single day, while simultaneously managing other surgeries.

Expressing gratitude for the constant support they have received, the team acknowledged the contributions of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Minister for Health C. Damodar Raja Narasimha and NIMS Director Dr. N. Bheerappa.