Puducherry: First liver transplant surgery at JIPMER

Puducherry: Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research(JIPMER) is one of the few centers with a multi-organ transplantation facility for patients across India.

A liver transplant was recently performed on a 38-year-old man at JIPMER recently, who was suffering from liver cirrhosis. The operation continued for 12 hours and involved a team of surgeons, nursing, technical staff and four anesthesiologists. 4 operation theatres were utilized for the liver transplant operation. The patient has been housed in the ICU for a week now and is under the dedicated liver transplant category.

According to the information given by Head, Jipmer and the Additional Professor of the Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Dr Biju Pottakkat, the transplanted liver had been retrieved from the body of an accident victim after his relatives gave their consent to donate organs for transplant. The patient's kidneys and cornea were also transplanted benefitting three other patients.

Head, Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Dr. Sandeep Mishra highlighting the crucial role of the wing in the process of liver transplantation said Anaesthesia management of patients undergoing liver transplantation involves the understanding of the various physiological problems to long-term liver failure. It requires real-time monitoring of pulse rate, heart function, maintenance of adequate oxygen supply to vital organs and blood pressure, he also added.This he said was necessary as the vital parameters are subject to significant fluctuation which could result in creating a damaging effect on the recipient, as well as, the new transplant.

This he said was necessary as the vital parameters are subject to significant fluctuation which could result in creating a damaging effect on the recipient, as well as, the new transplant.

According to information, the liver transplant clinic will begin operations from this month for the economically deprived patients, through conduction of clinics for them.

Less than a lakh of Rupees was spent as hospital expenditure on the first liver transplantation surgery, with the operation conducted free of cost for the poor recipient.

JIPMER offers one of the cheapest liver transplants in the country. The cost of the same in private clinics is between Rs.25-30 lakhs, reports News Folio.