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Best Nephrologists for Kidney Transplant in Chennai, India

This page lists 2 kidney transplant doctors in Chennai, India. Review each doctor's experience, specialty and hospital, then contact our care team for help with the next step.

Quick answer

This page lists 2 kidney transplant doctors in Chennai, India. Review each doctor's experience, specialty and hospital, then contact our care team for help with the next step.

About Kidney Transplant doctors in Chennai, India

This directory is based on doctors currently listed in GAF Healthcare's registry. Clinical suitability varies by patient; a doctor should review your history and investigations before any treatment decision.

Kidney Transplant doctors

Image not available Featured

Dr. A R A Changanidi

MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DM (Nephrology)
Associate Consultant — Nephrology · Specialty: Nephrologist
Gleneagles HealthCity Chennai Chennai, India9+ Years experience
Why consider this doctor?
  • 9+ years of experience in Nephrologist
  • Associate Consultant, Nephrology — Gleneagles HealthCity Chennai, Chennai, India (Present)
  • Clinical training and experience — Madras Medical College, Chennai, India
Expertise & Procedures
  • Hemodialysis access assessment and management
  • Peritoneal dialysis initiation and training
  • Kidney biopsy interpretation and guidance
  • Pre-kidney transplant medical evaluation
  • Post-transplant nephrology follow-up
View all procedures →
Nephrologist Experience: 9+ YearsHospital Affiliation: Gleneagles HealthCity ChennaiHospital accreditation: NABH, JCI
View Profile Book a Consultation
Image not available

Dr. Chandrasekaran Venkataraman

MBBS, MD, DNB, DM, Speciality Certificate in Nephrology
Visiting Consultant — Nephrology · Specialty: Nephrologist
Rela Hospital Chennai, India22+ Years experience
Why consider this doctor?
  • 22+ years of experience in Nephrologist
  • Visiting Consultant Nephrologist, Rela Hospital, Chennai (Present)
  • Consultant Nephrologist, Gleneagles Global Health City, Perumbakkam, Chennai
Expertise & Procedures
  • Live Donor Kidney Transplantation
  • Deceased Donor Kidney Transplantation
  • Combined Liver-Kidney Transplantation
  • Hemodialysis Initiation and Management
  • Kidney Biopsy and Histopathological Analysis
View all procedures →
Nephrologist Experience: 22+ YearsHospital Affiliation: Rela HospitalHospital accreditation: NABH, NABL
View Profile Book a Consultation

Hospitals where these doctors practise

Gleneagles Global Hospital🇮🇳 Chennai, India
Starting from$13,000

Gleneagles Global Hospital

Est. 1999
NABH — National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers accreditationJCI — Joint Commission International accreditation
Kidney TransplantNephrologyCardiac SurgeryCardiology
1+
Doctors for Kidney Transplant
4.7
112 reviews
1000+
Beds
27+
Years Since Founded
Dr. A R A Changanidi
View Hospital Profile Enquire / Get Free Opinion
Dr. Rela Institute and Medical Centre🇮🇳 Chennai, India
Starting from$13,000

Dr. Rela Institute and Medical Centre

Est. 2018
NABH — National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers accreditationNABL — National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories accreditation
Kidney TransplantNephrologyCardiac SurgeryCardiology
1+
Doctors for Kidney Transplant
4.7
108 reviews
450+
Beds
8+
Years Since Founded
Dr. Chandrasekaran Venkataraman
View Hospital Profile Enquire / Get Free Opinion

Why consider treatment in India?

Many international patients consider India for kidney failure / esrd treatment for several reasons, including:

More affordable estimates

Competitive indicative costs compared with many other countries, for similar clinical standards.

Internationally accredited hospitals

Hospitals experienced in treating international patients.

Experienced specialists

Doctors who regularly manage similar cases.

Care coordination support

A team to help with planning, medical translation and follow-up.

About the Procedure

What is Kidney Transplant?

A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure to place a healthy kidney from a living or deceased donor into a patient whose kidneys have failed due to conditions such as chronic kidney disease, ESRD, diabetic nephropathy, or polycystic kidney disease. It restores normal kidney function, eliminates the need for regular dialysis, and significantly improves quality of life and long-term survival. India is a leading destination for kidney transplants due to skilled transplant surgeons, high success rates, and cost-effective packages for international patients.

Who may be considered?

Kidney Transplant may be considered after a qualified specialist reviews your reports and medical history. Suitability varies from person to person and must be assessed by your treating doctor.

How does it work?

A kidney is surgically removed from a healthy, medically compatible living donor (often a relative) and transplanted into the recipient, typically offering shorter waiting times and excellent long-term outcomes.

2 approaches available for this procedure:

Living Donor Kidney Transplant

Most Popular

A kidney is surgically removed from a healthy, medically compatible living donor (often a relative) and transplanted into the recipient, typically offering shorter waiting times and excellent long-term outcomes.

Comprehensive Investigations

Estimated cost: $800 - $2,000

Blood grouping and cross-matching, HLA typing, CBC, kidney and liver function tests, viral markers (HIV, Hepatitis B & C), urine analysis, chest X-ray, ECG, echocardiogram, CT angiography of renal vessels, ultrasound abdomen for donor and recipient

Treatment / Procedure Estimate

Estimated cost in India: $13,000 - $19,000

Stay in India

Pre-procedure stay (outside hospital): ~3-4 days
Hospitalisation: ~10-12 days
Recovery period (outside hospital): ~30 days recommended
Total stay: approx 40-45 days

Usually Included in Hospital Package

  • Donor and recipient pre-transplant workup
  • Surgeon, anesthetist and OT charges
  • ICU and ward stay for both donor and recipient
  • Immunosuppressant medications during hospital stay
  • Post-operative nursing care and monitoring

Usually Not Included

  • Long-term immunosuppressant medications after discharge
  • Visa, travel and accommodation outside hospital stay
  • Donor evaluation travel costs if donor is abroad
  • Legal/ethics committee approval fees
  • Treatment of post-transplant complications

Recovery and follow-up

Most patients require 4-6 weeks of close monitoring in India for medication adjustment, kidney function checks, and early detection of rejection before returning home. Lifelong immunosuppressant therapy and regular follow-up with a nephrologist are essential for graft survival.

Risks

Risks include organ rejection, infection due to immunosuppression, surgical complications (bleeding, blood clots), and side effects of long-term immunosuppressant medications. Regular monitoring significantly reduces these risks and improves long-term graft survival.

Alternatives

For patients not eligible or not yet ready for transplant, ongoing hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis remain the main alternatives to manage kidney failure, though they do not restore full kidney function like a transplant.

What we need to prepare a formal estimate

Share whatever you have — the care team will confirm the final checklist after reviewing your case.

Reports required

  • Recent kidney function tests (serum creatinine, eGFR, urea)
  • Dialysis history and current dialysis prescription
  • Blood group and HLA typing reports of patient and potential donor
  • Ultrasound/CT of kidneys and urinary tract
  • Cardiac evaluation (ECG, echocardiogram)
  • Viral marker reports (HIV, Hepatitis B & C)
  • List of current medications and comorbidities
  • Biopsy reports if underlying kidney disease was previously diagnosed

Patient information needed

  • Age, weight and general health status of patient and donor
  • Cause and duration of kidney disease (e.g., diabetes, PKD)
  • Current dialysis type and frequency, if applicable
  • Availability and relationship of a potential living donor
  • Blood group of patient and potential donor
  • History of previous transplants or organ rejection
  • Any known allergies or history of major surgeries
  • Insurance coverage or budget for treatment

Costs shown are indicative planning estimates based on typical pricing across leading Indian hospitals. They are not a quote — actual pricing depends on your case complexity, hospital choice, and length of stay. Share your reports for a personalized estimate.

Want a formal estimate?

Share your reports and patient information so our care coordination team can review your case.

How this directory is built

Doctors are matched using the specialty, location, condition (Kidney Transplant) and procedure (Kidney Transplant) recorded in their profiles. Inclusion is not an endorsement and does not guarantee a treatment outcome.

Need help with the next step?

Share your needs with our care coordination team for information about doctors and hospitals.

Common questions

FAQs about Kidney Transplant in Chennai, India

What is Kidney Failure / ESRD?
Kidney failure (ESRD) is the final stage of chronic kidney disease, in which the kidneys retain less than approximately 15% of their normal filtering capacity and can no longer sustain life without renal replacement therapy or a transplant. It is a permanent condition, though its progression and management vary considerably between individuals.
What are the symptoms and health risks of Kidney Failure / ESRD?
People with kidney failure may experience persistent fatigue, swelling in the legs and ankles, shortness of breath, reduced urine output, difficulty concentrating, itching, nausea, and muscle cramps — symptoms that often worsen as kidney function declines further. Because many of these symptoms overlap with other conditions, and because some individuals have few noticeable symptoms even at advanced stages, symptoms alone are never sufficient to establish a diagnosis.
How is Kidney Failure / ESRD diagnosed?
Kidney failure is assessed through a combination of blood tests — most importantly serum creatinine and the calculated glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which is used to stage chronic kidney disease from Stage 1 (mild) through Stage 5 (ESRD, GFR below 15 mL/min/1.73 m²) — alongside urine tests to detect protein or blood, imaging such as renal ultrasound, and sometimes a kidney biopsy to identify the underlying cause. A full medical history including duration of diabetes, hypertension, or other kidney-affecting conditions is a critical part of the evaluation. The specific staging and pattern of findings guide both urgency and treatment planning.
How is Kidney Failure / ESRD treated?
Treatment for ESRD depends on the individual's overall health, the rate of disease progression, personal circumstances, and preferences, and is determined through careful clinical assessment rather than a single standard protocol. Renal replacement therapy — in the form of haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, or kidney transplantation — is required to sustain life once kidney function falls below a critical threshold. In carefully selected cases where decline is very slow and the person is older or has significant comorbidities, a conservative (non-dialysis) management approach focused on symptom control and quality of life may also be discussed.
Can Kidney Failure / ESRD be treated without a procedure?
Prior to reaching ESRD, earlier stages of chronic kidney disease may be slowed through medical management: optimising blood pressure control, managing blood sugar in diabetic patients, dietary protein and sodium modification, and medications such as ACE inhibitors, ARBs, or newer agents like SGLT2 inhibitors. Once true ESRD is established, there is no non-procedural pathway that replaces kidney function — dialysis or transplantation becomes necessary for survival, though conservative palliative management remains a legitimate, patient-centred option for those who choose not to pursue dialysis.
When is Kidney Transplant considered for Kidney Failure / ESRD?
Kidney Transplant may be considered only when it is appropriate for the confirmed diagnosis and the expected benefit outweighs the individual risks. The decision may depend on symptom severity, investigation results, previous treatment, overall health and the patient's goals. A specialist should discuss alternatives and recovery before any procedure is planned.
Which doctor treats Kidney Failure / ESRD?
ESRD is primarily managed by a nephrologist — a physician specialising in kidney disease — who oversees disease monitoring, dialysis prescription, and medical optimisation. When kidney transplantation is being considered, a transplant surgeon and a multidisciplinary transplant team (including a transplant nephrologist, immunologist, and specialist nursing staff) become central to care.
How do I choose a doctor for Kidney Failure / ESRD?
When comparing providers, look for a nephrologist with documented experience managing ESRD and a dialysis unit accredited to recognised standards, as well as clear pathways to a transplant centre should a transplant become appropriate. Continuity of care, access to a multidisciplinary team (including dietitians, social workers, and vascular access specialists), and transparent follow-up arrangements across borders are particularly important for medical-tourism patients.
What documents do international patients need to share for a medical evaluation?
Share a concise medical summary, symptom timeline, previous diagnoses, investigation and imaging reports, procedure or biopsy reports where relevant, current medicines, allergies and related treatment records. Provide clear copies with translations when needed. The reviewing doctor may request additional information before giving an opinion.
How does GAF Healthcare help international patients plan treatment in India?
Our care coordination team can review the initial information, help identify suitable doctors and hospitals, request a medical opinion where available, explain next steps and indicative cost information, and support practical planning before travel. A remote opinion does not replace an in-person examination or emergency care.
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