Organ Transplant in Istanbul: Kidney and Liver Transplantation
For international patients, New City Clinic coordinates living-donor kidney and liver transplantation at the transplant centres of its partner hospitals in Istanbul. The decision to transplant is made by the hospital’s transplant council after a detailed assessment of recipient and donor.
The legal framework: who can be a donor?
In Türkiye, international patients can receive a transplant only from a living donor and must come with their own donor. By law the donor must be related to the recipient by blood or marriage up to and including the fourth degree, and this must be proven with official documents. Donors who are not relatives require approval by the hospital’s ethics committee.
New City Clinic does not provide donors and does not mediate in any arrangement of that kind. Organ trading is a crime in Türkiye.
Kidney transplant
In end-stage kidney failure, a transplant can offer a longer life of better quality than dialysis. Recipient and donor undergo blood group, tissue typing (HLA) and cross-match tests together with a full health screening. The donor’s kidney is usually removed by keyhole surgery, and the new kidney is placed in the recipient’s groin area. The transplant operation takes around 3–4 hours.
- Donor: 3–5 days in hospital, back to daily life in 2–4 weeks
- Recipient: 7–10 days of close monitoring in hospital
- Regular check-ups in Istanbul while medication is adjusted
- The whole process: about 70 days including tests, surgery and check-ups
Liver transplant
A liver transplant is a treatment for cirrhosis, certain liver tumours and acute liver failure. In living-donor transplantation, part of a healthy donor’s liver is removed and transplanted; because the liver regenerates, both parts reach an adequate volume within weeks. The donor’s safety comes before every decision, and unsuitable candidates are not accepted. The recipient’s operation usually takes 6–10 hours.
- Donor: 7–10 days in hospital; the liver largely regains its volume in 6–8 weeks
- Recipient: the first days in intensive care, then 2–3 weeks on the ward
- Regular check-ups in Istanbul while medication is adjusted
- The whole process: about 70 days including tests, surgery and check-ups
Life after a transplant
A transplant is a treatment, not the end of care. Immunosuppressant medication is taken for life and monitored with blood tests; protecting yourself from infection and attending regular check-ups become part of everyday life. Your follow-up is planned so that it continues with your nephrologist or hepatologist at home.
For patients from Europe, the Middle East and Africa
New City Clinic coordinates transplantation for patients arriving with their donor from European countries, the Middle East and Africa. The process starts with a review of the recipient’s and donor’s documents before you travel.
- Official documents proving the family relationship need to be translated and certified; you are told in writing exactly which documents are required.
- For recipients and donors from countries that need a visa, a hospital appointment and invitation letter is provided for the application.
- Accommodation close to the hospital and transfers are arranged for the whole process of about 70 days.
- Your transplant reports are prepared in English so that you can share them with your physician at home.
Partner hospitals with transplant centres
Transplantation is coordinated at the following partner hospitals, which have organ transplant centres. The centre is chosen according to the type of transplant and the team’s assessment.
How the process works
- 1
Send your documents
Medical reports for recipient and donor, blood groups and official documents proving the family relationship.
- 2
Preliminary review
The transplant team reviews the files; the tests needed to establish suitability are set out for you in writing.
- 3
Tests and council in Istanbul
Recipient and donor undergo detailed testing; the decision is made by the transplant council and, where required, the ethics committee.
- 4
Transplant and hospital care
Surgery and the close monitoring that follows take place at the partner hospital’s transplant centre.
- 5
Check-ups and return
Once medication doses are settled you return home with your reports; follow-up continues there.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have a transplant without a donor?
No. International patients are not placed on the deceased-donor waiting list in Türkiye; a living donor who meets the legal requirements is needed.
Does New City Clinic find donors?
No. New City Clinic does not provide donors and does not mediate in any such arrangement. Organ trading is a crime.
What if our blood groups do not match?
Some centres can consider blood-group-incompatible or paired-exchange transplantation. Suitability is decided by the transplant council.
Who cannot be a donor?
People with significant chronic illness or who are found unsuitable in testing. For liver donation, advanced fatty liver and insufficient liver volume also rule it out. Age limits vary by centre.
Is donation safe for the donor?
Like any major operation it carries risk, which is why donor candidates go through very strict assessment and only those found suitable are accepted.
How is the cost determined?
It depends on the tests, the operation, the length of hospital stay and the follow-up period. An itemised written quote follows the preliminary review.
New City Clinic blog
This page is for general information. The decision to transplant is made only by the hospital’s transplant council after assessment of recipient and donor. New City Clinic does not provide donors.
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