Arun Jaitley undergoes successful kidney transplant surgery at AIIMS

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday underwent a successful kidney transplant at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), an official at the premier health institute said.

Both the donor and the recipient are stable and recovering well, the official said.

Jaitley, 65, was admitted to the hospital on Saturday and taken to the operation theatre at 8 am today.

"Union Minister Jaitley underwent a renal transplant today. The surgery has been successful. Both the donor and the recipient are stable and recovering well," a senior AIIMS official said.

The minister, suffering from a kidney ailment, has been undergoing dialysis for the last one month.

According to sources, nephrologist Dr Sandeep Guleria from Apollo Hospital, also the brother of AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria, who is a family friend, was part of the team performing the transplant.

The minister, who cancelled his scheduled visit to London for the 10th India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue next week, had confirmed his illness in a tweet on April 6.

"I am being treated for kidney-related problems & certain infections that I have contracted," he had tweeted.

Jaitley did not elaborate but said he was "currently working from controlled environment at home".

"The future course of my treatment would be determined by the doctors treating me," he had said.

In September 2014, Jaitley underwent a bariatric surgery to treat weight gain because of a long-standing diabetic condition. The surgery was first performed at Max Hospital, but he had to be later shifted to AIIMS because of complications.

Jaitley had a heart surgery several years ago.

Even as Congress President Rahul Gandhi was quick to tweet and wish Finance Minister Arun Jaitley a speedy recovery, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Twitter handle was conspicuous by its silence.

Narendra Modi tweeted a video on Monday morning on the utility of ‘Shalabhasana’ or the locust posture.

The Twitter handle of @PMOIndia at noon had tweeted a report published by Firstpost in which the Prime Minister of Nepal had thanked Narendra Modi for visiting Nepal.

(with inputs from PTI)