News & Events

Three Women donate liver for their loved ones, giving a second lease of life

Highlights:

• 360-degree Liver Care which includes medical treatment, Liver Dialysis (Liver support system) and Transplantation, that is also eligible for Tamil Nadu CM scheme
• Three women from different families donate liver to men aged 56, 48 and 37 respectively
• Every year, 2000 live-donor liver transplantations happen in India

8th April 2021: Kauvery Group of Hospitals launched Centers of Excellence(CoE) – The Kauvery Liver Diseases and Transplantation Centers- across all units – Chennai, Trichy, Salem, Hosur and Bengaluru.

The “state of the art” liver care units shall have dedicated ICU, operation theatres and treatment areas for recovery. The centers will also provide 360-degree care which would include diagnosis, treatment, transplantation, post-surgery care.

The CoEs recently performed six living donor liver transplantations. Mr. Harjit Singh, a 56-year-old passionate rider, developed liver disease and was undertaking treatment for eight months. He urgently needed a liver transplant for survival, and better quality of life. The patient was put on dialysis for 36 hours before the surgery, as he had fluid retention due to kidney dysfunction. Later he underwent living donor liver transplant with a portion of liver donated by his daughter.

The story of his recovery from illness is inspiring and heartwarming. “His 31-years aged daughter came forward as a donor. After evaluating her liver as well as general health, we advised, on the best interest of her swift recovery from the donor surgery, to lose some weight before going ahead with the donation for transplant. With sheer determination, she lost around 5kgs in one month, and we went ahead with the transplantation” explained Dr. K.Elankumaran, Head of Liver Diseases Transplantation & Hepatobiliary Surgery Kauvery Hospital.

In another instance, Elaiyaraja, a 37-year-old farmer from Villupuram who received liver from his wife, got the transplantation done under the Tamil Nadu CM Scheme.

Mr Udhayakumar, 48-year-old man from Perambur, also received liver from his life- partner that helped him to achieve a better quality of life.

Dr. Ilankumaran said “Mr Elaiyaraja (37-year-old) waited for more than a year for a cadaveric liver, but in vain. Finally, his wife came forward to donate her liver and now he is able to lead a better life. Both the donor and patient, in all three cases, have recovered well and resumed their normal lives”

He added “Liver Transplantation is a rebirth; patients recover well, to lead normal and productive lives. However, many desperately needed liver transplantations do not take place due to shortage in organs, and lack of awareness among the public. It is to be understood that live donor liver transplantations are quite safe. The donors are mostly from the family, which gives a higher probability of finding a better donor match,” he adds.

Liver diseases are one of the leading causes of death globally. Every year, over 20,000 people are in need of liver transplants and among them only 2000 receive organs for transplants.

Speaking about the Liver Diseases and Transplantation Center, Dr. Manivannan Selvaraj , Founder and Managing Director Kauvery Group of Hospitals, says “This division of healthcare is resource- intensive. High end equipment is required for liver surgery, liver care and diagnosis, and strict protocols need to be in place to avoid infection. A liver transplant requires multidisciplinary approach with a team of well qualified doctors and surgeons. Our transplant Centers, that which meets international standards, are sure to help many patients with liver failure regain their normal life. More awareness about “living donor transplantation” will contribute to meeting the organ demand in India.”

The Liver Diseases and Transplant Centers will also have associated services offering strong supportive care such as clinics dedicated to Alcoholic Liver Diseases, Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases, Viral Hepatitis, Jaundice and Pediatric Liver Diseases.

Highlighting on the infrastructure, Dr. Aravindan Selvaraj, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Kauvery Hospital Chennai, says “We have built a dedicated and exclusive center for Liver Diseases and Transplant with an entire floor for Liver Dialysis, Kidney Dialysis, HEPA Filter, Positive Pressure Room and Sterile Corridor. This is “The best in class” treatment, and post-operative care. This means that when a patient is diagnosed having liver failure or any form of liver diseases, they will receive comprehensive care, with all necessary protocols in place to avoid complications or infections which may extend the hospital stay.”

Liver Diseases and Transplant Centre Helpline Number: +91 7373653653