Thiruvananthapuram : KIMSHEALTH creates history in the field of organ transplant by transplanting organs of a brain-dead person in three patients simultaneously. KIMSHEALTH Trivandrum also achieved the milestone by becoming the only hospital in Kerala to perform two multi-organ transplants at the same time.
It was a 24-hour-long effort of around 100 healthcare professionals, including specialist doctors, and nurses that helped in achieving this feat. The organs of a 24-year-old native of Tamil Nadu, who was declared brain dead after an accident, gave new life to three patients by way of donating his liver, pancreas and kidneys.
A 26-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man, in need of two organs underwent first of its kind simultaneous transplant surgery in Kerala. One of the patients received a portion of the liver and a kidney, and another received pancreas along with a kidney. A 50 year old woman suffering from liver disease received the remaining part of the liver. Such multi-organ transplant surgeries in the state are very rare. It is noteworthy that it is for the first time in South Kerala that Pancreas was transplanted. This surgery was done by a team headed by Dr. Shiraz Ahmad Rather, Consultant Pancreatic and Multi Organ Transplant Surgeon at KIMSHEALTH.
Pancreas and a kidney were transplanted parallelly to a patient suffering from Type 1 Diabetes with dysfunctional kidneys. In another surgery, kidney and liver were transplanted to a 26-year-old woman whose kidney function was impaired due to primary hyperoxaluria. Since the donor’s liver was large and healthy enough for bisecting, transplantation to two patients was possible. It is also for the first time in Kerala a split liver transplant was conducted.
Dr Shabeerali TU, Head of the Liver Transplant Department along with Dr Madhu Sasidharan, Consultant, Department of Hepatology led the liver transplant surgery and the kidney transplant was led by Dr Renu Thomas, Head of the Urology Department along with Dr. Praveen Muralidharan Transplant Director and Consultant, Department of Nephrology and Dr. Satish Balan, Consultant, Department of Nephrology.
‘The success of the 24 hour long surgery is attributed to the joint efforts of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff of the hospital,’ said KIMSHEALTH Chairman and Managing Director Dr. M.I. Sahadulla. All the three recipients are recovering well.
The surgeries were carried out under the supervision of Kerala Government’s State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (K-SOTTO), entrusted to facilitate the organ transplant. “The government made organ-donation criteria to help multi-organ-failure patients who are at increased risk. We follow the national and international guidelines in this regard. The great gesture by the donor’s family should be respected ,” said Dr. Noble Gracious, Executive Director of K-SOTTO.
Department of Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplant Consultants Dr. Varghese Eldho, Dr Sreejith S, Department of Urology Consultants Dr. Nithya R, Dr. Sudhin SR , Department of Anesthesia Dr. Hashir A, Dr. Sahil, Dr. Divya S, Dr. Hari , Hepatology Department Consultant Dr Ajith K Nair, Transplant Procurement Manager Dr. R Muralidharan, Transplant Critical Care Consultant Dr Madhusudanan, Radiology Department Consultants Dr. Manish Kumar Yadav, Dr. KS Manoj, Transplant Nurse Manager Liju, transplant coordinators Sabeer Abhinand, and Pramitha were part of the team, who achieved this feat.
This tremendous deed also received support from the Director of Medical Education (DME) Dr. Thomas Mathew, Principal of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, Dr. Kala Keshavan and Head of the Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Dr. Ramesh Rajan.