Turkey- top transplant destination
Turkey is one of the most sought-after destinations for high-quality healthcare services and has become a hub for organ transplantation in the last decade. Kidney transplants in Turkey are no exception.
Started in 1975 with living kidney donors, kidney transplantation is now offered by numerous hospitals across the country, including in major cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, Anatolia, Bursa, Konya and many others.
Turkey is among the first countries in the world to transplant organs from living donors. Due to the high success rate and survival rate (90%) of living donor kidney transplant programs, patients from Europe, Asia, America, Africa and other parts of the world seek the best kidney transplant hospitals in Turkey for their treatment. The country's advanced healthcare system, coupled with inexpensive healthcare packages and exceptional hospitality services, provides first-class treatment to the patient.
More than 15 000 kidney transplants have been performed in Turkey.
Turkey offers safe and reliable medical care.
The latest technologies in surgery.
Transplantation is performed by highly qualified and internationally trained doctors with extensive experience. They provide holistic treatment to patients with a personalized approach to care depending on their medical condition.
Most kidney transplant operations in Turkey are from living donors. One of the main reasons for this is the low number of deceased donors in the country and long waiting lists. The Turkish Ministry of Health only allows hospitals to accept living donors for foreign patients. They are not eligible for cadaver donor transplants. International patients need to bring their own donors with proof of kinship. In the absence of consanguinity, a full screening is performed by the medical ethics committee.
Ethical basis of kidney transplantation in Turkey
The donor must be at least 18 years of age and a relative of the patient up to the 4th knee, which must be certified by the relevant document. The official document must be in English or Turkish. The family of the patient's spouse can be considered as the patient's family.
- Grade 1: Mother - Father - Child
- 2nd degree: brother or sister - grandfather - grandmother - grandson or granddaughter
- Grade 3: Uncle - Aunt - Nephew or Niece
- Grade 4: Grade 3 children.
The donor must be over 18 years of age - there is no upper age limit).
If the donor does not fall into these groups, the decision to transplant is made by the ethics committee.
The Ethics Committee is a board that meets twice a month. When the donor is not a relative of the patient, proof must be provided showing their relationship such as photos, documents, etc. Pre-operative examinations of patients and donor candidates are performed. The final decision is based on the results of medical examinations and tests to determine the eligibility of the candidate as an organ donor.
People with cancer, active infection, diabetes mellitus, kidney disease or other organ failure, and pregnant women are not eligible to donate a kidney. The decision for hypertensive patients is made after review of all relevant medical reports.
Kidney surgery by closed method
The "gold" standard in kidney transplantation is the surgical removal of the kidney by a closed method (laparoscopic method) in view of the health and comfort of the living donors after the operation. Closed method kidney transplant surgery is performed through two 0.5 - 1 cm holes made in the patient's abdomen. After the operation is completed, the kidney is removed through a 6 cm incision made in the patient's groin. Compared to open surgery, patients postoperatively feel less pain, stay for a shorter period in the hospital, and adapt much more quickly to their normal life and work.
Adverse outcomes such as herniation, loss of sensation, scar inflexion, and accumulation of air in the lungs, which have been seen with open medical procedures in the past, never occur with this type of surgery.
A kidney transplant in Turkey usually lasts about three to four hours. Usually, the new kidney starts functioning immediately. Organs transplanted from living donors usually take 3 to 5 days to reach normal functioning, and about 7 to 15 days for cadaveric organs. The hospital stay for the recipient usually lasts about 4 - 7 days. If complications occur, additional drugs (diuretics) are included to help the kidneys make urine.
After a successful transplant, the new kidney filters the blood so the patient no longer needs dialysis. To prevent rejection of the donor kidney, immunosuppressants are prescribed - drugs that suppress the recipient's immune system so that it does not attack and reject the transplanted organ.
Thanks to ZIC "Medical Karaj" more than 200 patients have already got a chance for a new life. Our expert knowledge and extensive experience guarantee the success of your kidney transplant! Contact us if you need more information.
