MGM Healthcare opens institute for liver transplant

Four transplant surgeries performed at facility in a month

MGM Healthcare has announced the setting up of MGM Institute of Liver Transplant and Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary (HPB) Surgery at the hospital.

Addressing the media here on Monday, the doctors said the institute performed four liver transplants with organs from live donors in the past one month.

S. Thiagarajan, director of the institute, said this included a liver transplant for a 42-year-old man under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme. He said the patient had acute and chronic liver failure with episodes of food pipe bleeding. He was admitted to the hospital in critical condition. After treating him to prepare for an emergency liver transplant, Dr. Thiagarajan said the necessary approvals for performing the transplant under Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme was provided by the government within 24 hours.

Increased awareness

He stressed on the need for increased awareness on liver transplantation as thousands of lives could be saved every year, particularly from diseases such as liver cirrhosis.

Echoing his thoughts, Karthik Mathivanan, senior consultant and associate director of the institute, said that more people can get benefited in Tamil Nadu under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme.

“The government provides ₹22 lakh for liver transplant and lifelong aid for immunosuppressive drugs for those covered under the scheme. This amount is the highest in the country,” he said.

Ravi R., academic director, Interventional Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases at the hospital, said the new institute, with world class infrastructure and expertise, would help in better diagnosis and management of all gastroenterology and liver problems and provide comprehensive care for all diseases and disorders affecting the digestive systems.