For patients on dialysis in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and elsewhere in Africa, a kidney transplant from a family member can mean a life without dialysis sessions. Turkey has extensive experience in living-donor transplantation, but strict laws govern who can donate. This New City Clinic guide explains the rules, the documents families need to prepare, and how the 70-day process in Istanbul is planned. Transplantation is never priced in advance.
Who can be a donor
International patients can receive only a living-donor transplant and must come with their own donor. By Turkish law the donor must be related to the recipient by blood or marriage up to and including the fourth degree – for example a parent, child, brother or sister, aunt or uncle, cousin or spouse – and this must be proven with official documents. Donors who are not relatives need approval from the hospital’s ethics committee.
What New City Clinic does not do
New City Clinic does not provide donors and does not mediate in any arrangement of that kind. Organ trading is a crime in TĂĽrkiye. If anyone offers you a kidney for money, refuse and do not travel on that basis.
Proving the family relationship
The relationship must be shown with official documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates and family registers issued by your country’s authorities. They need to be translated and certified; you are told in writing exactly which documents are required. Start early, because obtaining and certifying documents can take time in some countries.
Visa for recipient and donor
Check the visa or e-visa requirements for both passports on the official Turkish government website (evisa.gov.tr). Once treatment is planned, the appointment is confirmed in writing by the hospital.
Before travelling: dialysis and first tests
Send the recipient’s kidney reports, dialysis details and blood group, and the donor’s blood group and basic health information. The transplant team reviews both files and tells you in writing which tests are still needed. If you are on dialysis, send your schedule: the sessions you need while in Istanbul are planned with the transplant team and shown in your written plan.
Tests and the decision in Istanbul
Recipient and donor have blood group, tissue typing (HLA) and cross-match tests and a full health screening. The decision is made by the hospital’s transplant council and, where required, the ethics committee. If the blood groups do not match, some centres can consider a blood-group-incompatible transplant or paired exchange; suitability is decided by the council.
The operation and hospital stay
The donor’s kidney is usually removed by keyhole surgery; the donor stays three to five days in hospital and returns to daily life within two to four weeks. The recipient’s operation takes around three to four hours, followed by seven to ten days of close monitoring in hospital.
The 70-day stay
Including tests, surgery and check-ups while medication doses are adjusted, the whole process takes about 70 days in Istanbul. Accommodation near the hospital, transfers and interpreting are arranged for the recipient and the donor, and a family member can accompany you.
Life back home
Medication to prevent rejection is taken for life and monitored with regular blood tests. Before travelling, arrange follow-up with a nephrologist at home and check that the medicines you will need are available there. You leave with your transplant reports in English for your doctor.
A kidney transplant in Turkey from Africa with New City Clinic
New City Clinic is an authorised health tourism intermediary registered with the Turkish Ministry of Health and HealthTĂĽrkiye. When you contact New City Clinic about a kidney transplant in Turkey from Africa, a physician first reviews your photos and medical information, and you then receive a written treatment plan with an itemised quote. Once you arrive in Istanbul, the New City Clinic team organises your airport welcome, accommodation, hospital appointments and interpreting. Your procedure is performed by a specialist physician at a Ministry of Health approved partner hospital, and follow-up continues after you return home.
Aftercare
Medication and check-ups
Take the medication your physician prescribes as directed and attend your planned check-ups.
Smoking and alcohol
Both slow healing; avoid them before and after the procedure for the period your physician advises.
Movement and rest
Short walks support circulation; wait for your physician’s approval before strenuous exercise or heavy lifting.
When to get in touch
Contact your New City Clinic coordinator straight away in case of high fever, increasing pain, redness or anything unexpected.
Frequently asked questions
Can New City Clinic find a donor for me?
No. New City Clinic does not provide donors and does not mediate any such arrangement. Organ trading is a crime in TĂĽrkiye.
Can a cousin or my wife donate?
Relatives by blood or marriage up to and including the fourth degree, which includes cousins and spouses, can donate when the relationship is proven with official documents and the donor passes all tests.
Can a friend donate?
A donor who is not a relative needs approval from the hospital’s ethics committee; the decision rests with the committee.
How long will we stay in Istanbul?
About 70 days in total, including tests, surgery and early check-ups.
Can I continue dialysis in Istanbul before the transplant?
Yes. The dialysis sessions you need before the transplant are planned with the transplant team and shown in your written plan.
Is there a fixed price?
No. Transplantation is never priced in advance; a written quote follows the review of the recipient’s and donor’s documents.
Who follows me after I return home?
A nephrologist at home, with your transplant reports in English. Arrange this before you travel.
Deciding on a kidney transplant in Turkey from Africa is a confident step when it is taken with the right information and the right team. You can book a free consultation with the New City Clinic team for your questions.
This article is for general information; consult your physician for diagnosis and treatment.
