11th cadaveric liver transplant performed in 15 months at RGGGH

A team from Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital undergoes training in liver transplantation at Rela Hospital. Photo: File | Photo by B. Jyoti Ramalingam

Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) has performed 11 cadaveric liver transplant surgeries in a span of 15 months. With the cadaveric liver transplant programme in the state's largest government hospital making steady progress, the Ministry of Health hopes to enable more government hospitals to perform cadaveric liver transplant surgeries.

Health Minister Gagandeep Singh Bedi said hospitals such as the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai are being encouraged to carry out liver transplants. The Tirunelveli Medical College has also entered into initial partnerships with private hospitals for the procedure.

“We want liver transplant surgeries to be performed in more government medical college hospitals so that the poor can benefit. We are urging government medical colleges, especially the departments of surgery and gastroenterology and heads, to tie up with established hospitals so that mutual learning takes place. This way, the experience can be widely disseminated to other parts of the state and common man can benefit,” he said.

It may be recalled that Government Stanley Medical College Hospital was the first government hospital in Tamil Nadu to start liver transplants. Cadaveric liver transplants were started at RGGGH in February 2023. In a nearly 14-hour operation that began at 6.30 pm on Saturday, doctors performed the 11th surgery.^Number A liver transplant was performed on a 40-year-old woman suffering from Wilson's disease over a 15-month period.

E. Theranirajan, dean, RGGGH, said eight cadaveric liver transplants were performed last year and three so far this year. “This time, our team independently harvested the liver from the donor. As per the MoU signed between the state government and Rela Hospital (2022-2025), our team was trained in liver transplantation. We have put in place the right infrastructure to proceed with liver transplantation in-house. Our aim is to run independently and start pancreas and small intestine transplants in the near future,” he said. RGGGH has recorded 18 donors so far this year and 26 kidney transplants have also been performed.

K. Prem Kumar, head of the RGGGH Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, said training is a continuous process. “Before starting transplant surgeries, our doctors, nurses and paramedical staff like those in the microbiology and biochemistry departments underwent extensive training,” he said.

Liver transplant requires teamwork and coordination, which is being implemented at the institute, added C Sugumar, director, RGGGH Institute of Surgery, Gastroenterology and Liver Transplantation. “The necessary infrastructure is in place. We have a WhatsApp group with other departments involved in liver transplantation and the Rela Hospital team. Whenever we get an alert for brain death determination, we take all necessary steps, including asking patients on the priority list to come for reassessment,” he said.

After the transplant, doctors meet daily to discuss the patient's condition and treatment plan.