Two kids get fresh breath of life

Hyderabad: The Gleneagles Global Hospital, Hyderabad, recently performed two successful pediatric transplants. The recipients were not only transplanted for very severe, advanced end-stage liver disease, but also had unique physical attributes which made the whole exercise of transplantation very daunting.

Sai Ganesh (5) from Vizianagaram, reported in June this year with severe liver inflammation. He had been taken to other transplant centres in the State and in the South but was not accepted for liver transplantation on account of poor health status, as well as the presence of situsinversus. This condition is congenital, wherein organs in the body are in a 'mirror-image' location - that is organs normally located on the right side of the body are located on the left, and vice versa.

The surgical team comprising lead surgeons Dr K Venogopal and Dr Balbir Singh successfully implanted a part of the liver taken from the child's father, after removing the affected liver. The anesthesia team comprising Dr Ravi Chandra, Dr Mohan and Dr Gopi carried out the surgery and post-operative care remarkably well.

Selam Devi (8) from Khammam had been suffering from chronic cholestatic liver disease for many months. She had been evaluated at other centers in the State but was not considered for transplantation on account of being 'too sick'. At Gleneagles she was optimised medically and listed for transplant. However, the biggest stumbling block came in the form of non-compatibility of blood group between donor (mother, group A1) and the recipient (group O). 

This challenging situation was admirably managed by the treating team comprising Dr Prashanth Bachina (Rainbow Hospital) and Dr Prashanth Shinde (Gleneagles). They used a novel strategy of immune suppression to thwart graft rejection in the early post-operative period.  The experience of the two paediatric transplants has proved that with meticulous planning and excellent team approach, the most challenging clinical scenarios can also be turned to success stories.