Chennai: GEM hospital Chennai has successfully, laparoscopically harvested liver from a 19 years old college student who has donated to her ailing father.
According to a press release, this is the first time such a procedure is done at GEM Hospital Chennai. Murugan (name changed) from Puducherry has been suffering from end stage liver disease waiting for liver transplantation with the hope of receiving liver from a braindead person.
Meanwhile, his health got deteriorated to a critical stage hence his daughter volunteered to donate a part of her liver.
Large incisions of abdomen, longer period to recover, wound related complications like pain, hernia and the girl’s marriage prospects in the future have been the concerns of the family.
When the family came to know of the feasibility of laparoscopic liver harvest, the family and the girl were relieved of the anxieties and the girl underwent laparoscopic liver donation.
Dr C Palanivelu and his team of doctors, Dr Senthilnathan, Dr Vijay Anand and Dr Srivatsan performed the laparoscopic liver harvesting.
The right half of the liver was separated successfully in 3 hours and 30 minutes. Liver resection was done in a bloodless manner using harmonic scalpel and cusa sophisticated equipment which are very useful in this procedure. No blood transfusion was given. Entire surgery was done through five tiny holes which were sealed with a solution instantaneously, facilitating healing without stitches.
Liver was placed in a bag and removed through a small incision in the lower part of abdomen resulting in an invisible scar.
In the post operative period, the donor has been ambulant from day-one and taking normal diet. She got discharged on the third post operative day.
She being a B Tech student, is preparing for her examinations. She is very happy that there is no scar in her abdomen, the release said.