Written By: Prerna Mittra | Updated : March 7, 2025 1:00 PM IST
Medically Verified By: Dr Ahmed Kamaal, senior consultant, urology, Dr Anil Sharma, senior consultant, urology, Dr Sameer Bhate, senior consultant and head-cardiac surgery, Dr Kunal Raj Gandhi, senior consultant of nephrology at Amrita Hospital
Case Study: Meet Devendra Barlewar, The Man Who Has Five Kidneys In His Body! (Representational image/Pixabay)
Normally, a human body has two kidneys, and when they stop working altogether, a kidney transplant becomes a viable and life-saving treatment option. Kidney transplant entails adding the recipient's kidney to the donor's body, which already has two non-functional kidneys of their own. With that, the body continues to function with three kidneys. But recently, a rare kidney transplant was performed on a patient, who has since been living with five kidneys! In January this year, one Devendra Barlewar underwent a four-hour complex surgery, which marked a significant advancement in organ transplantation in the country. He received the kidney of a 50-year-old brain-dead farmer.
This is an extraordinary case, because the patient currently possesses two native non-functioning kidneys, two failed transplanted kidneys, and one newly-functioning kidney. This marks the end of the patient's 15-year-long battle with chronic kidney disease that began with a hypertension diagnosis in 2008, followed by the two failed transplants in 2010 and 2012. The latter was compromised by a Covid infection in 2022. The case was handled by a multispecialty team at at a hospital in Faridabad. Read on to find out more.
In a statement shared by the hospital, Dr Ahmed Kamaal, Senior Consultant, Urology, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, said: "This case presented extraordinary challenges. The presence of four existing kidneys created significant immunological risks requiring specialised protocols. We optimised the patient with immunosuppression before transplant to save his new kidney transplant from the risk of rejection."
Dr Anil Sharma, Senior Consultant, Urology, added: "Surgically, we faced limited space for the fifth kidney due to the patient's thin built and an existing incisional hernia. Additionally, connecting to the largest abdominal blood vessels became necessary as previous surgeries had utilised standard vessels."
The surgery was performed by Dr Sharma, Dr Kamaal, Dr Sameer Bhate, Senior Consultant and Head-Cardiac Surgery, and Dr Kunal Raj Gandhi, Senior Consultant of Nephrology. The patient was discharged within 10 days of the surgery. He went home with a stable kidney function, and his creatinine levels normalised within two weeks. He has since remained dialysis-free.
The patient, a 47-year-old DRDO scientist, said undergoing two failed kidney transplants was 'incredibly challenging', and being dependent and bound by dialysis was severely restricting his life. "Today, I can perform daily activities independently, and my overall health has improved. This transplant has not just restored my kidney function, it has restored my independence and hope," he was mentioned as saying in the hospital statement.
Dr Gandhi, meanwhile, said that multiple non-functioning kidneys can present serious immunological problems, particularly in the early post-operative phase, and, if left untreated, can result in rejection. "Advanced medical technology is essential for best results, such as CT scans for pre-operative planning and state-of-the-art lab testing to measure antibody levels. We ensure accurate evaluation with in-house access to the latest immunology tests."
According to Dr Bhate, the process of anastomosing renal vessels to the biggest abdominal blood vessels is 'intricate' and requires 'careful surgical skill'.
