Kurnool, September 20, 2025: She’s just 12 years old — an age meant for play, laughter, and school. But for little Sahasra, life took a drastic turn when she began experiencing swelling in her legs and face, along with loss of appetite. In October 2024, doctors in Nandyal diagnosed her with kidney failure. Initial treatments proved ineffective, prompting her family to seek advanced care at KIMS Hospital in Kurnool.

Sahasra’s mother, heartbroken by her daughter’s suffering, stepped forward to donate her kidney determined to save her child’s life. Ordinarily, kidney transplants require a close relative with a matching blood group. However, in this case, Sahasra’s blood group was B positive, while her mother’s was AB positive — a mismatch that typically complicates transplantation. Yet, in a groundbreaking achievement, doctors at KIMS Kurnool successfully carried out the transplant, marking a first-of-its-kind pediatric incompatible blood group kidney transplant in Andhra Pradesh.

Dr. K. Anantha Rao, Consultant Nephrologist and Transplant Physician at KIMS Kurnool, led the diagnosis and treatment. A biopsy confirmed that Sahasra had irreversible chronic kidney disease. Dialysis was started immediately, but due to her young age, doctors decided a transplant would offer the best long-term outcome.

The major hurdle: incompatible blood types between mother and daughter.

Usually, such complex transplants are only done in metropolitan hospitals like Hyderabad, Chennai, or Bengaluru. But the team at KIMS Kurnool devised a specialized desensitization protocol to overcome this challenge. The procedure involved plasma exchange to remove harmful antibodies and medications to prevent new antibody formation.

Once antibody levels dropped to safe limits, the transplant was performed successfully.

The transplant team included Nephrologist: Dr. K. Anantha Rao, Transplant Surgeons: Dr. Umamaheswara Rao, Dr. Y. Manoj Kumar, Dr. Karthik, Dr. Prithvi, Anesthesiologists: Dr. Balasubrahmanyam, Dr. Akhtar, Dr. Shruthi, Dr. Bhuvaneshwari, Dr. Indu, Post-surgery, the transplanted kidney is functioning exceptionally well, and Sahasra is now on her path to recovery.

“Advanced Surgeries Now in Rayalaseema Itself” — Dr. Sunil Sepuri, COO, KIMS Hospital

“We are proud to say that complex surgeries like these can now be done right here in Rayalaseema. There is no need for patients to travel to distant cities. With a 96% success rate in kidney transplants, KIMS Kurnool is now a Center of Excellence for organ transplantation. We are committed to offering world-class kidney and liver transplants using the latest technologies, ensuring no patient in our region is left behind.”