Zydus Hospital in Gujarat has emerged as a leader in the field of complex liver and multi-organ transplantation, marking a significant milestone in the region’s healthcare landscape.
The hospital group is known for its technical prowess and a mature administrative structure, coupled with a multidisciplinary team capable of handling the most challenging procedures. It has demonstrated its commitment to saving lives under dire circumstances. Their state-of-the-art infrastructure and world-class facilities have become a beacon of hope for patients in critical conditions.
One heartwarming success story at Zydus hospital in Ahmedabad is that of Ms Baljeet Kaur, 57, from Chandigarh. She was in a critical stage, battling end-stage liver and kidney failure, along with the looming threat of a ruptured hernia. She relied on alternate-day dialysis and recurrent hospitalisations, desperate for an organ transplantation. Her children, eager to help, were willing live donors if necessary.
On World Organ Donation Day, a donor match was found for Baljeet. However, simultaneous liver and kidney transplantation posed technical and medical hurdles due to different hemodynamic and immunosuppression goals. The surgical complexities were substantial, requiring seamless coordination between nephrologists, urologists, and liver specialists.
The Zydus Hospital transplant team, led by Dr Anand Khakhar, Dr Prakash Darji, Dr Devang Patwari, Dr Ankur Vagadiya, Dr Meeta Agarwala, Dr Himanshu Sharma, Dr Prarthan Joshi, Dr Yash Patel, and others successfully completed both transplants, along with intricate hernia repair surgery, in an astonishing 8-hour procedure. Baljeet’s recovery was nothing short of a miracle, and she was discharged two weeks later.
In another challenging case, a 20-year-old architecture student from Jaipur was brought to Zydus Hospital with Acute Liver Failure. His condition was critical, with coagulopathy, deep jaundice, and the need for mechanical ventilation, advanced dialysis, and neuro monitoring. The patient’s 22-year-old sister selflessly stepped forward to donate, even though their blood types did not match.
Zydus’ innovative protocol eliminated the need for the traditional prolonged treatment with Rituximab and plasma exchange, which typically takes weeks. The Zydus team, in collaboration with the patient’s family, completed the first-ever ABO-incompatible living donor liver transplantation for Fulminant Liver Failure in Gujarat within 24 hours of the patient’s arrival. The donor was discharged within a week, and the patient, 18 days post-op.
These successes have profound implications for treating Acute Liver Failure patients and those requiring complex multi-organ transplants. Both cases of seamless recovery have strengthened the commitment of the medical team to undertake challenging endeavors and offer patients a better chance at life.
Dr Anand Khakhar, Senior Consultant in HPB & Liver Transplant, expressed his optimism, stating, “Organ Transplant offers a fresh lease of life to patients. Donation, including that of our organs, is embedded in our culture, religion, and our value system. In the future, we intend to complete Pancreas and Intestinal Transplants in-house.”
Dr Prakash Darji, Senior Consultant in Nephrology & Renal Transplant, emphasised the potential for simultaneous organ transplants, stating, “In case of simultaneous liver-kidney transplant, the need for immunosuppressants is low because a transplanted liver from the same donor protects against kidney rejection, increasing the probability of performing other simultaneous organ transplants in the future.”
Dr Devang Patwari, Senior Consultant in Nephrology & Renal Transplant, highlighted the importance of simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation for patients with decompensated cirrhosis.
Dr Ankur Vagadiya, Consultant in HPB & Liver Transplant, noted the increased awareness of organ donation in Gujarat following the pandemic, enabling more dual organ transplants.
Dr Meeta Agarwala, Senior Consultant in Anesthesia, underscored the complexity of SLKT and ABO-incompatible transplants and the importance of infrastructure and experienced manpower for their success.
Dr Himanshu Sharma, Consultant in Liver ICU, commended the groundbreaking success achieved at Zydus Hospital and their commitment to setting new healthcare standards.
The advancements in complex liver and multi-organ transplantation at Zydus Hospital offer hope to patients facing life-threatening conditions, setting a shining example of medical excellence in Gujarat.
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