Multi-organ transplant performed

Complicated procedure took surgeons nearly 14 hours

Surgeons at Apollo Hospitals attempted a multi-organ transplant, giving a middle-aged man a new liver, intestine and pancreas, on Thursday.

The liver, intestine and pancreas of a 12-year-old boy, who was declared brain-dead at a private hospital in Porur on Wednesday night, were transplanted to the recipient in a marathon 14-hour surgery.

Recipent suffered from liver disease

Anand Khakhar, programme director, Centre for Liver Disease and Transplantation, Apollo Hospitals, said the recipient, a resident of Chennai, suffered from liver disease and his intestine venous system was occluded.

“We performed a combined transplant of the liver, intestine and pancreas on him. It was a multi-visceral transplant,” he said.

The surgery commenced at 3 a.m. and ended around 5 p.m. on Thursday. Four senior surgeons were part of the team that performed the surgery. Doctors said they would have to wait to see the outcome of the complex procedure.

The donor, a resident of Porur, sustained head injury while riding a bicycle near his house on Saturday. He fell from the bicycle and its front portion hit his forehead and eyes.

He was admitted to the hospital in Porur and declared brain-dead on Wednesday night. On obtaining consent from his family, the organs were harvested and allocated to different transplant centres.

The liver, intestine and pancreas were allocated to Apollo Hospitals.

This was the fourth cadaver donation in the city in the past 10 days.