NIMS performs live liver transplant on a school kid

​Hyderabad: NIMS, Hyderabad, has achieved a rare distinction. For the first time, the doctors performed living donor liver transplant (LDLT) successfully on Sashikiran, a 14-year old school student from Khammam. For a complex surgery that costs easily Rs 30 lakh and above in corporate hospitals, the child's family got it done free of cost for Rs 10.8 lakh under Aarogyasri scheme.

According to Dr N Bheerappa, professor and HoD, Surgical Gastroenterology, this was the first time NIMS conducted a successful live liver transplantation after having performed seven cadaveric liver transplantations in the last two to three years.

“Transplant of liver harvested from a brain-dead person was not preferred for the kid because we required only 350 grams and splitting big size liver of a grown-up man involves complexities. The boy's father came forward to donate liver and hence we preferred LDLT surgery," the doctor said.

The surgery was done on June 4. The donor (father) was discharged on eighth day, but the kid was kept under observation for nearly a month and he was discharged on July 2 after his graft liver was found to be functioning well.

Dr Bheerappa was assisted by his friend Dr K Rajendra Prasad, consultant liver transplant surgeon from Leeds, UK and director of Centre of Liver Sciences, Asian Institute of Gastroenterology and a team of 20 members comprising surgeons, aneasthesia specialists, resident doctors, nurses and paramedic staff. The surgery lasted for ten hours (9 am to 7 pm). Both intraoperative and post-operative period were uneventful for recipient and donor.

Sashikiran was found to have cirrhosis of liver with decomposition (Cryptogenic) for which the surgery was recommended by NIMS doctors. Bheerappa thanked health minister and NIMS director for encouraging doctors to go ahead with the first of its kind surgery done in a non-corporate hospital.

He exuded confidence of conducting many more living donor liver transplantations at NIMS in future without any financial burden to the patient and family. Also, treated patients would receive lifelong immunosuppressive therapy for free under Aarogyasri scheme with the help of Telangana government.

Sashikiran’s family could not control their tears after seeing their son back to normal condition. Upppalaiah, the boy’s father, who is a tailor by profession, thanked Dr Bheerappa team for giving a fresh lease of life to his son.