Kidney Transplant Cost in South Africa

The cost of Kidney Transplant in South Africa may differ from one medical facility to the other. The cost quoted by some of the best hospitals for Kidney Transplant in South Africa generally covers the pre-surgery investigations of the patient. The Kidney Transplant package in South Africa includes the fees of the surgeon, hospitalization and anesthesia as well. Extended hospital stay, complications after the surgery or new diagnosis may affect the overall cost of Kidney Transplant in South Africa.

There are many hospitals across the country that offer Kidney Transplant to international patients. For quick reference, the following are some of the leading hospitals for Kidney Transplant in South Africa:

1. Lenmed Ethekwini Hospital and Heart Centre

After discharge from the hospital, the patient has to stay for another 45 days in the country for complete recovery. During this time, the patient undergoes medical tests and consultations. this is to ensure that the treatment was successful and the patient us safe to return.

One of the topmost destinations for Kidney Transplant is South Africa. It has a variety of accredited hospital, affordable cost of treatment and some of the best medical fraternity. Some of the other destinations that are popular for Kidney Transplant include the following:

1. Singapore
2. the United Arab Emirates
3. India
4. Turkey
5. Israel
6. South Korea
7. Thailand

Apart from the Kidney Transplant cost, the patient may have to pay for additional daily expenses such as for guest house after discharge and meals. The per day extra expenses in South Africa per person is about USD$ 35

There are many cities that offer Kidney Transplant in South Africa, including the following:

• Durban

After the Kidney Transplant takes place, the average duration of stay at the hospital is about 7 days. During the recovery, the patient is carefully monitored and control tests are performed to see that everything is okay. If required, physiotherapy sessions are also planned during recovery in hospital.

Kidney Transplant hospitals in South Africa have an overall rating of about 4.0. This rating is calculated on the basis of different parameters such as attitude of the nurses, cleanliness, quality of food and the pricing policy.

There are more than 1 hospitals that offer Kidney Transplant in South Africa. These hospitals are approved to perform the surgery and have proper infrastructure to handle Kidney Transplant patients.

Certain conditions may prevent you from being a good candidate for kidney transplantation. Dementia and mental illness are considered unfavorable cases for kidney transplants. A cancer patient, recently treated cancer, alcohol or drug use, heart disease, and an unfavorable reaction to medications are adverse situations. In these conditions, transplantation is not a good option. Doctors usually suggest dialysis until these adverse conditions are under control or cured.

Other things to consider are the financial budget. One must include the travel costs to South Africa and choose a more cost-effective option if budget is tight.

The Kidney transplants began very long ago in South Africa. With constant pressure on the economy and a struggle-filled past, the growth has been slow. There were declines in the number of Kidney transplants recently. However, the country remains the best option for anyone living in the African Continent. South Africa is among the most developed country of the continent, and it is also highly developed in Medical facilities. There is organ donation awareness being spread throughout the country. With all the steps government have taken and with public support, South Africa is a good, if not the best choice for having a kidney transplant at low costs.

The country has few nephrologists and too many patients. There are many experts in the country. One such expert is Prof. Jean Botha, who is a transplant surgeon working currently for the reputed Donald Gordan Medical Center. He has performed several transplants throughout his career and is now regarded as a kidney transplant expert.

The high success rates of kidney transplant in South Africa is attributed to highly experienced surgeons and advanced infrastructure. Despite the lack of organ donors in the country, the success rate has been remarkable. The success rate of kidney transplants in South Africa varies between 85 and 90% when both the donor and the recipient are good candidates for the transplant. Private hospitals in South Africa have a good record of successful kidney transplants..

To determine whether you are a suitable candidate for a kidney transplant, you'll have to undergo a thorough evaluation phase. Prior to your evaluation appointment, you will be asked to provide the records of your medical history. After completing the physical as well as evaluation of your medical & detailed surgical history, the doctor might ask you for laboratory tests, EKG and a chest x-ray. After your medical evaluation is done, the results will be reviewed by the dedicated transplant team and then final insurance authorization would be gained for listing. Some more tests done before performing kidney transplantation are Blood Type Testing, Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA), Crossmatch and Serology.The cost of evaluation and diagnostic tests associated with Kidney Transplant in South Africa is 1600 USD.

Jean Botha is a renowned kidney transplant surgeon in South Africa. He is presently Director of Transplantation at Wits Donald Gordon Medical Center. He completed his general surgical training at University of the Witwatersrand and then did a fellowship in Transplantation at University of Nebraska medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska. His core area of specialization is living donor liver transplant.

Deceased-Donor Kidney Transplant and Living-Donor Kidney Transplant are the two most common types of Kidney Transplant available in South Africa.

• Deceased-Donor Kidney Transplant : In this process, the kidney comes from a screened, deceased donor so that the kidney is apt for transplant. As people having a deceased-donor transplant are on a long waitlist for the kidney donor, the exact time of the transplant is not known.

• Living-Donor Kidney Transplant : In this approach, a healthy person who is a blood relative, or a close friend, or any stranger provides the kidney. In certain cases, the donors that meet all the eligibility requirements could only take part in the kidney exchange.

South Africa is an emerging destination for Kidney Transplantation. Here are some reasons why you should choose this country for the transplant.

• Top Hospitals: South Africahas the best kidney hospitals which are specialized in performing kidney transplants by highly skilled surgeons. These world-class hospitals are accredited by JCI and NABH. The quality of medical care services provided by these hospitals is advanced & innovative.
• Quality of Treatment: South Africa has gained a high reputation for its overall excellence in nephrology and urology. So, thousands of kidney transplants are done each year.
• Currency: The value of South African currency is relatively less than the currency of many other countries like euro, the dollar, pound, etc. So, healthcare is more affordable in this country.
• Standard of Living: The living standards in South Africa are economical as compared to many other developed countries. So, facilities, such as healthcare, food, transport & accommodation are comparatively cheap.
• Easy documentation process: Generally, the documentation process for kidney transplant is very lengthy and time consuming resulting in a long wait time. But in South Africa, this process has been kept simple so that people requiring the transplant can avail the treatment without much hassle.
• Government support: The government of South Africa gives full support for the transplant. It helps in every possible way to find the donor.

South Africa has strict rules for kidney transplants. The rules define who all can donate organs. These donors are known as “Near Related Donor'' or any other near related donor.” The recipient or the donor needs to submit documents like passport, a family photograph, etc. showing the proposed recipient and donor along with other near relatives to declare their identity, their relationship and address. The near related donors will have to prove their relationship with the recipient through valid documents and DNA test. Foreign nationals are required to seek permission from the concerned committee to prove their reason for donation. The committee will then review the documents to rule out any commercial motive behind the donation.

Anyone willing to undergo kidney transplant in South Africa need to follow below steps:

• Finding an ideal kidney match: Severaltests are performed to find if both donor and recipient are a perfect match in order to help increase the overall chances of a successful transplant. There are three tests: tissue matching, blood type matching and crossmatching.
• Getting on kidney transplant waitlist: Your transplant center would find if your insurance covers all surgery and post-surgery medical needs. In case you don’t have a living donor, then your transplant centre will place you on the waiting list for a kidney & register you for national transplant waiting list
• Admittance: After admitting to the hospital for the kidney transplant, the patient as well as the donor are given a physical exam and a chest x-ray is done along with an EKG or some other tests. This helps determine if the patient is healthy for the transplant is a priority.
• All legal formalities are completed and once cleared and the date for the transplant is fixed.