42 year old brain dead kidney transplant recipient donates liver, saves life of 54 year old
16 January 2017: One of the first such known cases in India, a 42 year old kidney recipient donated her liver and saved life of a 54 years old man. On January 1 2017, Aparna Karandikar was declared brain dead at Sahyadri Hospitals. She was admitted at Sahyadri Speciality Hospital, Deccan Gymkhana with intracranial bleeding, which led to increased intracranial pressure and was declared brain dead by two clinical examinations. Two years back, Aparna suffered a Kidney failure and was required dialysis three times a week. Aparna was advised a kidney transplant which was then conducted in 2015 by Dr. Atul Sajgure, Nephrologist, Sahyadri Hospitals. Aparna received kidney from her mother. Post-transplant, she recovered quickly and had a normal allograft function. Although the treatments and medicines used to treat Aparna were potentially hepatotoxic, i.e. toxic to liver, no severe complications such as liver failure was observed in this case. After several tests and observations conducted at Sahyadri Hospitals, the doctors decided to use Aparna’s liver and transplant it.
Aparna’s liver is transplanted to a 54 year old male recipient as he was suffering chronic liver cirrhosis. The transplant took place at Sahyadri Speciality Hospital Deccan Gymkhana. The patient had been waiting for a liver transplant & had multiple admissions since 3 months & was getting sick due liver dysfunction. Despite sickness his recovery was uneventful and discharged on day 6th post transplant.
This unusual liver transplant was led by Dr Bipin Vibhute and his team which included Dr Rahul Saxena, Dr Manish Phatak, Dr Abhijeet Mane and coordinators Mrs Sharmila Padhye, Mr Rahul Tambe & Mr Arun Ashokan.
Dr Bipin Vibhute said, “This is one of the first such known case witnessed in the medical literature of liver recovery from a brain-dead kidney transplant recipient on an immunosuppressive regimen in India. The goal of transplantation is to provide every patient on the waiting list with an opportunity to obtain an organ transplant. The likelihood of this situation may increase with the growing number of organ recipients who experience long-term survival.”
54 Year old liver recipient said” If you do good it will indeed come back to you. By grace of God I have received fresh lease of life and it was all possible because of organ donation. Thanks to team of doctors at Sahyadri Hospitals who has brought me back to life. Our entire family now would like to go for organ donation”
Aparna Karandikar was a reporter with Doordarshan and a freelance reporter. She had worked with various news channels and was known as a brave soul among her fraternity. While organ donor shortages represent one of the major problems in organ transplantation in India, this case of the brain dead kidney recipient donating her liver brings new hope to many lives.
Sahyadri Hospitals got its liver transplant license in March 2016 and has successfully conducted 33 liver transplants till date. With outstanding success rates, which speak of expert teams and excellent amenities and technology, the liver transplant program at Sahyadri Hospitals is equipped to undertake complex endeavours.
About Sahyadri Hospitals:
Sahyadri Hospitals is the largest chain of hospitals in Maharashtra with 10 hospitals across four cities of Pune, Nashik, Karad and Navi-Mumbai. Founded by Dr. Charudutt Apte, a renowned neurosurgeon, Sahyadri Hospitals was conceived with an aim to make healthcare Available, Accessible, and Accountable. The hospital chain has over 1100 Beds including 200 ICU Beds, 1200 Clinicians and 2300 Support Staff providing round the clock healthcare. To know more: http://sahyadrihospital.com