Daughter donates 65 per cent liver to 63-year-old father

CHENNAI: A 63-year-old man suffering from symptoms of liver ailments like fatigue, loss of appetite, and nausea for many years was donated 65 per cent of the liver by his daughter. When the patient visited the hospital, he was in a critical condition and was diagnosed with end stage liver cirrhosis.

Senior liver transplant surgeon Dr Sugi Subramaniam identified the youngest daughter of the patient, who is also a mother to two children, as she met the requirements for an ideal match for liver donation. The team of experts from Fortis Vadapalani, led by Dr Vivek Vij, operated for 8 hours and successfully transplanted the liver.

The patient and donor were then transferred to the dedicated Liver ICU, under the supervision of the Critical Care Liver Team, led by Dr Tanuja Mallik, Head of Anesthesiology and Critical Care.

Elaborating on the surgery, Dr. Vivek Vij, Chairman – Advanced Surgical GI, HPB and Liver Transplant, Fortis Hospital, Vadapalani, said, "Liver is the second most transplanted organ and liver ailments are the tenth most prevalent cause of mortality in India. However, due to lack of awareness about live organ donation, there is still a significant long wait. There is a belief that organs can only be retrieved from the deceased when it comes to organ donation. It is imperative to raise public awareness about the possibility of donating one's liver while still alive."

The donor was shifted from ICU to ward on the 5th day post-surgery and was discharged on the 9th day. The recipient was shifted from ICU to ward on the 6 th day and discharged on the 17th day post liver transplant. Although most transplants involve the whole organ, segmental transplants are being performed with increasing frequency.

In India, more than 80 per cent of transplants are from living donors using only 50 per cent of their healthy liver. The biggest challenge, however, is getting the right donor and liver that would match the patient’s blood group and be of adequate size.