Renji Hospital team carries out successful kidney transplant on young girl

A 4-year-old girl with uremia due to a rare genetic disease has received the best New Year's gift – a successful recovery from a kidney transplant.

She will be able to go to kindergarten like other children in six months after recovering from the successful transplant, medical experts from Shanghai's Renji Hospital said on Sunday.

The kidney was donated thanks to the parents of a 1-year-old infant, who had died due to an accident. The family donated the infant's two kidneys, one of which was transplanted into the 4-year-old girl, the youngest uremia patient who has undergone a kidney transplant in Renji.

The girl was found to have a kidney function problem in April last year when she was hospitalized for a cold. Her kidney problem developed very quickly and became uremia within two months.

Genetic test found the girl suffered a genetic mutation, and the mutation is related to nephronophthisis, a rare renal disease can cause kidney failure.

The girl's condition deteriorated quickly and she was transferred to ICU for dialysis.

The parents took the girl to Renji Hospital's kidney transplant outpatient clinic, which put her onto the waiting list and offered treatment during the process.

The girl received the kidney early last month and has been discharged.

According to Dr Zhang Ming from the hospital's urological surgery department, the incidence of children's uremia has been rising in recent years. Most causes are congenital urological diseases.

With the development of medical diagnosis and treatment, nearly 95 percent of children with a kidney transplant can achieve long-term survival. Kidney transplants have become the best solution to children with uremia, he said.