Rela Institute doctors save life of 44-year-old Sri Lankan professor

CHENNAI: Doctors at Dr Rela Institute and Medical Centre successfully performed a liver transplant on a 44-year-old professor from Sri Lanka. Karunarathne, professor with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research, Government of Sri Lanka, was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune liver disease about three years ago.

A press release from the hospital said the patient flew to Chennai with his wife, his motherin-law and brother-in-law by a cargo flight on July 4. His wife was supposed to donate a part of her liver, but during a routine CT she was diagnosed with a low-grade tumour in the small intestine, thus making her unsuitable for her to donate.

When the patient’s family was contemplating returning to Sri Lanka, his brother-in-law came forward to donate liver. After the nine-hour surgery on September 24, the patient and the donor recovered well, the release said. The doctor also operated on the patient’s wife and she is also doing well. Six weeks post-surgery, the entire family is ready to return.