Sushma Swaraj undergoes kidney transplant at AIIMS hospital in Delhi

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today underwent a kidney transplant at AIIMS.

According to sources at AIIMS, the nearly five-hour-long surgery was conducted at the cardio-thoracic centre by a team of doctors including AIIMS Director MC Mishra, surgeons VK Bansal, V Seenu and nephrologist Sandeep Mahajan.

"The surgery started at 9 am and ended at 2:30 pm following which the minister has been shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the same building," the sources said.

"Living, unrelated donor could be anyone who is emotionally attached to the recipient, such as friend, a relative, a neighbour or an in-law. As no suitable donor was available in the immediate family, the transplant was done with the kidney from a living unrelated donor."

"The clearance from the authorisation committee was obtained prior to the procedure," the sources at AIIMS said, adding.

According to doctors, 64-year-old Swaraj has been suffering from diabetes for quite a long time. After the kidney failure diagnosis, she was put on maintenance dialysis.

"She was undergoing dialysis thrice a week," a senior doctor said.

After Swaraj made public her health condition on social media, support had poured in for her with several people offering their kidneys for transplant.

Earlier she was admitted to AIIMS in April for treatment of pneumonia and other health issues.

--PTI