Gujarat Witnesses its First-ever Instance of Dual-Living Liver Donors Contributing their Organs for Transplantation to a Single Recipient Weighing 135 kg.
The patient, who had been battling decompensated liver cirrhosis*, non-alcoholicsteatohepatitis (NASH)*, hepatorenal syndrome* and double vessel coronary artery disease(cardiac condition)received partial liver donations from his wife and son. To save his life, his wife donated the right liver lobe, while his son donated the left lateral lobe. Following the surgery, the patient underwent a smooth recovery without any significant complications.
The patient, who worked as an auto-rickshaw driver, faced numerous challenges due to his deteriorating health. He struggled with daily work, had a bloated stomach due to water retention(ascites), experienced swelling in his feet, and had difficulty breathing, sitting, and standing. Being the sole earner in the family, his illness added an immense burden. Normally, patients with liver cirrhosis require a liver graft in proportion to their weight. In the case of this patient, weighing 135kg, a larger liver graft was required due to his considerable weight, posing a significant challenge in finding a suitable donor.
Although it would have been best to have a cadaver liver transplant, it was too risky for the patient to wait for a deceased donor’s liver due to the fast worsening of his kidneys caused by liver disease. Consequently, the liver transplant team at KD Hospital decided to undertake the complex procedure of dual-lobe liver transplantation.
The patient’s wife and son selflessly stepped forward to donate a part of their livers, enabling the surgery to proceed. This act of immense generosity from the patient’s family played a vital role in making this challenging surgery possible.
Performing a dual lobe liver transplant is an immensely complex procedure, demanding the expertise of multiple teams comprising skilled surgeons, anaesthetists, OT nurses, and technicians. The surgery is time-consuming as all three surgeries are conducted simultaneously.Additionally, the postoperative immunosuppression for the patient becomes challenging due to the integration of organs from two separate donors.
A living-donor liver transplant involves surgically removing a portion of the liver from a healthy living individual and transplanting it into a recipient whose liver is no longer functioning effectively. The unique regenerative capacity of the liver allows both the donor’s partial liver and the recipient’s liver to grow and develop into complete organs.
Dr Divakar Jain, Senior Consultant, Liver Transplantation & HPB Surgeon, says, “The outcome of a dual lobe liver transplant is generally good. However, the technical complexity and challenges of this surgery make it a rare surgery.”
Dr Adit Desai, Managing Director of KD Hospital, states, “The dual lobe liver transplant was a significant milestone for KD Hospital and a testament to our commitment to pushing boundaries in the field of medical excellence. Liver transplants are typically reserved as a last option for patients with end-stage liver disease when all other treatment options have been exhausted.”
