When to see a transplant specialist
Common reasons people book a consultation.
- Being assessed for a kidney or liver transplant
- Considering becoming a living donor for a relative
- Long-term follow-up after a transplant
- A second opinion on whether a transplant is the right option
What a transplant specialist does
Organ transplantation replaces a failed organ with a healthy one from a donor. It is carried out by teams rather than a single doctor: transplant surgeons, who perform the operation, work with physicians such as nephrologists, hepatologists, cardiologists and pulmonologists, who assess patients beforehand and manage their care afterwards, along with anaesthetists, intensive care doctors, transplant coordinators and counsellors. Transplant surgeons usually come from urology, GI surgery, cardiothoracic surgery or general surgery, with further training in transplantation.
The organs most often transplanted in India are the kidney and the liver, and some centres also transplant the heart, lungs, pancreas and other organs. Organs may come from a living donor, often a close relative, or from a deceased donor after brain death. Both routes are regulated under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, which sets out who may donate, and living donation requires approval from an authorisation committee before surgery can go ahead.
Transplantation is a lifelong commitment. Recipients take medicines every day to stop the body rejecting the new organ, and need regular blood tests and clinic visits for life. Living donors are also assessed carefully beforehand and followed up afterwards. A transplant is not the right option for everyone, and the team's assessment of whether it is safe and likely to help is an important part of the process.
- Fever, chills or feeling generally very unwell after a transplant: contact the transplant team at once
- Pain or swelling over the transplanted organ, passing much less urine, or new yellowing of the eyes
- Vomiting or diarrhoea that stops you taking anti-rejection medicines
- Severe breathlessness, chest pain, confusion or collapse: call 108
Conditions transplant specialists treat
Kidney failure
End-stage kidney disease, where a transplant can be an alternative to long-term dialysis.
Liver failure and advanced cirrhosis
Chronic liver disease that has progressed despite treatment, or sudden liver failure.
Liver cancer in selected patients
Some liver tumours, in carefully chosen patients, may be treated with a transplant.
Advanced heart failure
Severe heart failure not controlled by medicines or devices, assessed at heart transplant centres.
End-stage lung disease
Advanced lung conditions where a lung transplant may be considered at specialised centres.
Diabetes with kidney failure
In selected patients, a combined kidney and pancreas transplant may be considered.
Living donor assessment
Careful checks of a person offering to donate a kidney or part of their liver, to make sure it is safe for them.
Long-term care after transplant
Monitoring the new organ, adjusting medicines, and watching for rejection and infection.
Tests and procedures you may come across
Transplant evaluation
A series of tests and consultations to check whether a transplant is safe and suitable.
Blood group and tissue typing
Tests that check how well a donor and recipient are matched.
Crossmatch
A test mixing donor and recipient blood samples to look for antibodies that could cause rejection.
Imaging
Scans of the organs and blood vessels of both donor and recipient to plan surgery.
Heart, lung and infection screening
Checks that the recipient can safely undergo major surgery and will tolerate the medicines afterwards.
Transplant surgery
The operation to place the donor organ and, for living donors, to remove the donated kidney or part of the liver.
Drug level monitoring
Regular blood tests to keep anti-rejection medicines at the right level.
Transplant biopsy
A small sample of the transplanted organ, taken if rejection is suspected.
Transplant specialist or another specialist?
The nearest neighbouring specialities, and when each is the right door.
Before your first visit
- Bring all reports relating to the failing organ: blood tests, scans, biopsy results and discharge summaries, with dates.
- Bring a family member; transplant decisions involve the family, especially where a relative is considering donation.
- Bring a full list of medicines and details of dialysis if you are on it.
- Expect the first visit to be one of several. Evaluation usually includes many tests, other specialists, and meetings with a transplant coordinator.
- Ask about the legal and documentation requirements for your situation, as living and deceased donation each follow a defined process.
Qualifications and registration to check
Registered with the National Medical Commission or a state medical council. The number can be searched on the NMC's Indian Medical Register. Every profile on The Doctor Index shows the registration number and says whether it has been checked against the register.
How to check a registrationQuestions about seeing a transplant specialist
Who can be a living organ donor in India?
Living donation is regulated under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, which sets out who may donate. Donation usually involves close relatives, and every living donation needs approval from an authorisation committee. The transplant team will explain the process for your situation.
What is the difference between living and deceased donation?
In living donation, a healthy person donates a kidney or part of the liver. In deceased donation, organs come from a person who has died, usually after brain death, with the family's consent. Both are regulated by law.
Is a transplant a cure?
It can greatly improve health and quality of life, but it is a treatment rather than a cure. Recipients take anti-rejection medicines for life and need regular follow-up.
Is it safe to donate a kidney?
Donors are assessed carefully beforehand to make sure donation is as safe as possible for them, and are followed up afterwards. Any major surgery carries some risk, which the team will explain in detail.
Which doctors are part of a transplant team?
Transplant surgeons, physicians such as nephrologists or hepatologists, anaesthetists, intensive care doctors, transplant coordinators and counsellors, among others.
Also searched as: transplant surgeon, organ transplant, kidney transplant surgeon, liver transplant.
Written by The Doctor Index on 27 Sep 2026, and has not yet been reviewed by a clinician. General information, not advice about your own situation.