Auto Liver Transplant in India: At Fortis Escorts, Okhla, a momentous achievement has been realized as doctors successfully conducted an auto liver transplant on a 35-year-old woman hailing from Kyrgyzstan. The patient, Altynai Tentimishova, underwent initial examinations in Kyrgyzstan, where a diagnosis of Echinococcosis Multilocularis, a rare parasitic infection associated with a gradual liver tumor and subsequent organ damage, was made. Officials revealed that there is a 10 percent chance of recurrence for this uncommon health condition.
Following a CT scan at Fortis, the infection was confirmed, revealing acute liver failure. The extent of damage to the liver and surrounding organs led the medical team to opt for an auto liver transplant. This intricate procedure involves the removal of the affected liver section, reconstruction or replacement of damaged veins with artificial ones, and subsequent reimplantation of the liver into the patient’s body.
The transplant, led by a team of doctors and headed by the chairman of liver transplant, Dr. Vivek Vij, took nearly eight hours to complete. Dr. Vij described the surgical process as involving the removal of the damaged liver portion, which was then replaced with a healthy one.
The patient’s recovery was rapid, and she was discharged on the eighth day post-surgery without the need for immunosuppressant medications, typically administered after organ transplants. Dr. Vij highlighted the challenging nature of the dissection to remove the diseased portion, given the liver’s intricate connections to vital structures, and the potential risks of organ injury, complications, and bleeding.
Dr. Vij emphasized the advantage of using the patient’s own liver, which eliminates the need for immunosuppressive drugs. Bidesh Chandra Paul, the zonal director at Fortis Escorts, Okhla, deemed this achievement a significant milestone in healthcare and medical sciences. He noted that this marked the second instance of an auto liver transplant in India and commended the medical team’s competency in handling this complex case, considering the associated risk factors.
