New Delhi: Doctors at Fortis Escorts, Okhla, have successfully performed an auto liver transplant on a 35-year-old woman from Kyrgyzstan, whose organ was 75 per cent damaged, officials at the hospital said, adding that this is the second such transplant performed in India.
The patient, Altynai Tentimishova, was initially examined in Kyrgyzstan, where she was diagnosed with Echinococcosis Multilocularis — a parasitic infection that suggests a slow-growing liver tumour with subsequent damage to the organ. It is a rare health condition with 10 per cent recurrence possibility, the officials said in a press release Thursday.
A CT scan done in Fortis had confirmed the presence of the infection and revealed acute liver failure.
Due to the extensive liver and surrounding organs’ damage, the doctors decided to perform an auto liver transplant. In this procedure, the diseased portion of the liver is removed, damaged veins are reconstructed or substituted with artificial veins, and the liver is then implanted back into the body, the officials at the hospital said.
The transplant was conducted by a team of doctors led by Dr Vivek Vij, chairman, liver transplant, at Fortis Escorts, Okhla, New Delhi, and took nearly eight hours.
“During the surgery, we removed the damaged part of the liver and successfully replaced it with a normal part of the liver, Dr Vij said.
The patient had a fast recovery and was discharged on the eighth day after surgery without any immunosuppressant medicines, typically required after organ transplantation, he added.
Dr Vij explained that the dissection for removal of the diseased part was quite challenging as the liver was stuck around surrounding vital structures and there was a risk of injury to vital organs along with complications and bleeding.
“Utilising a patient’s own liver is advantageous because immunosuppressive drugs are not required,” Dr Vij added.
According to Bidesh Chandra Paul, zonal director, Fortis Escorts, Okhla, this is a significant milestone in healthcare and medical sciences as auto liver transplant requires a great deal of experience and skill.
“This is the second auto liver transplant performed in India. Considering the accompanying risk factors, this was a particularly difficult case. However, the team of doctors commanded by Dr Vij evaluated all parameters and performed the procedure competently,” he said.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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