AIIMS Delhi performs second dual kidney transplant from a marginal donor

New Delhi [India], August 9 : The Department of Surgical Disciplines, in collaboration with the Departments of Nephrology, Anaesthesia, Transplant Immunology and the Organ Retrieval Banking Organisation (ORBO), AIIMS New Delhi, successfully performed the second dual kidney transplantation at the hospital using kidneys from a marginal donor on July 28.
The donor was a 70-year-old female from Command Hospital, Chandimandir, Chandigarh. Considering the advanced age and marginal donor characteristics, both kidneys were utilised for transplantation in a single recipient as a carefully planned strategy to maximise the use of available donor organs.
"This successful dual kidney transplant demonstrates that with careful donor assessment, meticulous surgical planning and close multidisciplinary coordination, even kidneys from marginal brain-dead donors can be successfully utilised to save lives. The immediate functioning of both kidneys despite a cold ischemia time of around 12 hours and the recipient's discharge with normal kidney function after 10 days are particularly encouraging. Our aim is to ensure that no potentially usable organ is lost because of donor age alone. This achievement reflects the commitment and teamwork of the entire transplant team at AIIMS, ORBO, the Army Research and Referral Hospital and Command Hospital Chandimandir," said Prof Dr Asuri Krishna, Department of Surgical Disciplines, AIIMS New Delhi
The organs were transported from Chandigarh to New Delhi by an Army helicopter, enabling rapid and safe transfer of the donated kidneys. Despite a cold ischemia time of approximately 12 hours, both transplanted kidneys started functioning immediately after transplantation, representing an excellent early outcome and demonstrating the successful utilisation of marginal donor kidneys.
The recipient was a 56-year-old lady, and both kidneys were successfully implanted on the right side of the recipient as part of the dual kidney transplantation procedure.
The patient had an uneventful recovery and was discharged after 10 days with normal kidney function, demonstrating an excellent early outcome following the dual kidney transplant.
The organ retrieval and transplantation were made possible through the coordinated efforts of the Army Research and Referral Hospital, New Delhi, with valuable support and guidance from the Director, AIIMS New Delhi, Prof. Nikhil Tandon.
A key role in the overall coordination and seamless execution of the organ retrieval, transportation and transplantation was played by Balram, Transplant Coordinator, ORBO, AIIMS New Delhi, who coordinated the logistics and communication between the various teams involved in the entire process.
The transplant surgery was led by Prof Asuri Krishna, along with Dr. Sushant, Dr. Aditya Baksi, Dr. Brijesh Kumar Singh and Dr Mohit Sangade from the Department of Surgical Disciplines.
The Nephrology team comprised Prof. Bhowmik, Prof. Mahajan and Dr. Sachin, who were involved in recipient assessment, perioperative management and post-transplant care.
The Anaesthesia team, led by Prof. Vimi Rewari, Head of the Department, along with Dr. Hena, provided comprehensive perioperative anaesthetic and critical care support.
The successful transplant reflects the strength of multidisciplinary teamwork and seamless coordination among the departments of Surgery, Nephrology, Anaesthesia and Transplant Immunology, ORBO, AIIMS, and the organ retrieval and transportation teams.

Dual kidney transplantation from carefully selected marginal donors represents an important strategy for increasing the utilisation of deceased-donor organs. In selected cases, transplantation of both kidneys into a single recipient can provide adequate renal function while allowing organs that might otherwise have been declined because of donor age or marginal characteristics to be successfully utilised.
This achievement demonstrates AIIMS New Delhi's continued commitment to advancing organ transplantation, maximising the utilisation of marginal donor organs and expanding access to life-saving kidney transplantation.
The successful completion of the second dual kidney transplant from a marginal donor on 28 July 2026, with immediate functioning of both kidneys despite approximately 12 hours of cold ischemia and subsequent discharge of the recipient with normal kidney function after 10 days, marks another significant milestone in the institution's ongoing efforts to optimise deceased-donor organ utilisation and provide advanced transplant care to patients with end-stage kidney disease.