Four-month-old Baby Born With Biliary Atresia Undergoes Liver Transplant

Dr. Darius Mirza performs yet another liver transplant on a four yr old baby With Biliary Atresia. This is the second time the operation like this has been successful after Baby Ram who had to undergo the same liver transplant after being //diagnosed with biliary atresia. The life-saving procedure marks a breakthrough in Liver Transplant program on the infant who was suffering from a congenital condition of the liver called ‘Biliary Atresia.’ In this condition there is a block of the flow of bile from the liver causing irreversible damage and scarring of the liver cells.

The living-donor transplant came from the infant’s father who donated a portion of his healthy liver to his child.

Dr. Darius F. Mirza, the Multi-Organ Transplant Surgeon at Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai said, “A rare condition, Biliary Atresia can be surgically corrected with 40% success if diagnosed early. However, in this case, the problem was only noticed by the family when the infant’s grandmother who is a nurse came to see him and noticed the hard liver and white stools. Till then, he was being treated for jaundice by the local doctors. He was referred to Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai where after a complete evaluation, the condition was diagnosed. The delay in detection of the condition had led to extensive damage to the infant’s liver with the development of life-threatening liver failure. It was too late for surgical correction of the biliary atresia, and it was decided to go in for a life-saving liver transplant.”

The infant was found fit for the liver transplant procedure and the process to identify a donor was started. Though a match, the infant’s mother was found not physically fit to donate. Fortunately, the infant’s father was found to be a suitable match. The parents were counseled on the transplant procedure and the medication and management that would be required post the transplant surgery. A multi-specialty team that consisted of transplant surgeons, pediatricians and dieticians charted out a detailed plan to prepare the infant for the transplant.

The life-saving transplant was performed on June 30, 2018, by the Liver Transplant team headed by Dr. Darius F. Mirza, Dr. Vikram Raut, Dr. Swapnil Sharma and supported by a team of specialists.

A portion of the father’s liver was removed and transplanted into the infant. The infant has shown a good recovery without any complications. He was kept under observation in the ICU for two weeks post the surgery and has since been transferred to a patient room. He is scheduled to be discharged in a month. The father made an uneventful recovery. As the human liver regenerates and returns to its normal size shortly after surgical removal of part of the organ, the father should regain normal size and function in a short time.

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According to the director of the group Dr. Anupam Sibal the Apollo Liver Transplant program has performed India’s first successful liver transplant in 1998 and since then has done more than 3000 liver transplants surgeries of which more than 270 have been in children.

The patient’s parents conveyed their thanks and the father, Elirabi E. Lyimo said, “We are glad that our baby’s condition was treated successfully by the specialized team of doctors at Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai. We appreciate their dedication in working towards the complete recovery of our son. The transplant has given him the chance to lead a normal life.”

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Source-Medindia