Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai is the first hospital in Western India to successfully perform 25 Paediatric Liver Transplants

Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai has achieved s a significant landmark, with the completion of 25 Paediatric Liver Transplants. A major milestone for the medical fraternity in Western India, the paediatric liver transplant program at Apollo Navi Mumbai took off two years ago at a time when children with end-stage liver disease had no comprehensive facility or access to advanced pediatric liver transplantation programmes in the city of Mumbai. The transplants have been successfully carried out at subsidized costs with a more than 90% success rate that compares with the best in the world.

The transplants at Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai have given new hope to the families of young patients who find it challenging to meet the medical expenses of liver-related illness and liver transplantation costs. Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai, with its experienced transplant team and a world-class healthcare facility, provides an economically viable option for life-saving transplants.

Dr Darius F Mirza, Consultant, HPB and Liver Transplant Surgery, Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai said, “The Apollo Hospital’s pediatric liver transplantation programme is staffed with experienced pediatric liver transplant surgeons and has success rates that are comparable to the best in the world. With well-equipped infrastructure and skilled pre and post-operative management teams, the risk to both donor and recipient are minimized to ensure a successful outcome. Today, with advances in surgical technique, immunosuppression, and post-operative aftercare, paediatric liver transplantation is a safe proven procedure.”

“In liver transplant surgery, a diseased liver is replaced with a healthy liver from a donor. A liver transplant is advised for children with serious liver problems who will not be able to survive without a new donor liver. A living donor will be a family member. Since the liver is the only organ in the body that can replace or regenerate lost or damaged tissue, people who donate part of their liver can have healthy lives with the liver that is left, as the donor’s liver will grow back to normal size after surgery. The transplanted part received by the child also grows to normal size in a few weeks,” explained Dr Mirza.

Dr Aabha Nagral, Consultant, Hepatology (Adult & Pediatrics), Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai spoke on the common indications for a paediatric liver transplant. She said, “The most common indication for a liver transplant is biliary atresia, a rare disease of the liver and bile ducts that occurs in infants and results in blockage of the bile flow from the liver to the gallbladder, causing damage to the liver cells. Other causes of childhood acute and chronic liver failure include inherited liver diseases. In children with serious dysfunction of the liver and end-stage liver disease, a liver transplant is the only solution. Timing of the liver transplant in a paediatric patient is important and is influenced by many factors including the age, the underlying liver disease, and past medical and surgical history. A multi-disciplinary team assesses the child and gives their input for the management.”

Dr. Vikram Raut, Consultant, Liver Transplant Surgeon, Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai elaborated on how the team has achieved high success rates which are on par with international transplant success rates. He said, “Evaluation and selection of the donor and patient are critical. The challenge of matching the size of the donor liver for the paediatric patient is overcome by the use of techniques such as reduced, split, and living donor related liver transplantation. In a living-donor transplant, an organ or portion of liver is removed from a living person and placed in the patient whose organ is no longer functioning properly. Most of the living donors are discharged within a week and can resume their daily activities in 4 to 6 weeks. Also, with well-equipped infrastructure and an experienced team for pre and postoperative management, the risk to both donor and recipient can be minimized.”

Mr. Santosh Marathe, COO & Unit Head, Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai said, “We are proud to be the first healthcare facility in Western India to have achieved this landmark of 25 paediatric liver transplants. The Apollo Hospitals Group has always created landmarks in healthcare, and the completion of 25 paediatric liver transplants in a short period of two years after starting the program is further evidence of the hospital group’s leadership in advanced healthcare that lays down the benchmark for accessible and affordable world-class healthcare in India. The hospital supports and performs liver transplant surgery at multiple centres across Maharashtra, including Apollo Hospitals, Nashik and Jehangir Hospital, Pune. The transplant unit has one of the most advanced pediatric intensive care units with a highly qualified intensivist team. The pediatric liver transplant programme at Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai has also seen significant fund raising initiatives through crowd funding, thus reaching out to a larger strata of society and providing relief, treatment to the deserving children. Our achievement gives us the confidence to continue to aspire to deliver the best and advanced healthcare to the people of Western India.”