Doctors in Hyderabad successfully saved a 35-year-old man from Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, grappling with end-stage liver disease, with a dual lobe liver transplant. This marks the first instance of such a complex procedure being executed in the Telugu States, said doctors.
The surgery involved three individuals simultaneously undergoing the surgery, an unprecedented scenario that required the expertise of a team comprising eight surgeons, seven anaesthetists and 25 operation theatre nurses in the ICU and ward.
The patient, identified as Mahesh, sought help from Dr. Raghavendra Babu at Star Hospitals, Hyderabad. Initial evaluations revealed that Mahesh did not meet the standard guidelines for a liver transplant. His wife’s liver was insufficient in size to meet the recipient’s needs, and while Mahesh’s brother emerged as a potential donor, his history of alcohol consumption had led to liver fibrosis, making him unsuitable for donation. With Mahesh’s health rapidly deteriorating, waiting for a cadaver donor became an impractical option.
Dr. Raghavendra, Chief Liver Transplant Surgeon, explained, “As the patient required a minimum of 800 grams of liver, the medical team decided that the left lobe of the brother’s liver, weighing 300 grams, and the right lobe of the wife’s liver, weighing 500 grams, could be donated and transplanted into the patient.” On December 4, Mahesh, along with two of his donors, underwent the 16-hour procedure. The surgery presented a high risk to the patient, who had to endure the lengthy operation on the operating table.
Post-transplant, both donors were discharged in a timely manner. The remaining liver in the donors is expected to regenerate and return to normal within six to eight weeks. The recipient, Mahesh, was discharged on the 13th day following the transplant and is currently in the recovery phase, the doctor added.