Nine-month-old child from Indonesia undergoes critical liver transplant in Delhi

NEW DELHI:  A nine-month-old girl from Indonesia became the first from the country to undergo a lifesaving liver transplant after suffering from Biliary Atresia, an end stage liver disease, claimed the Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in the city.

She was referred from Indonesia with liver failure for a transplant. Baby Grace was detected with biliary atresia an inflammation in the bile ducts that hampers liver function of infants after developing jaundice from the third day of her birth. In the initial months, she received treatment in Indonesia but as her condition continuously deteriorated, she was referred to India for a liver transplant.

She was admitted to the Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals with swelling in the abdomen and progressively worsening jaundice that was causing scarring of the liver. At nine months, her weight was 6.6 kg with at least 1.5 litre of fluid in her belly. “Her father was the donor but he turned out to be unfit due to very high sugar levels and Hb1Ac.

The only other donor was her mother but she did not have a compatible blood group. We decided to give rituximab to decrease her antibodies and 4 weeks later we decided to perform a transplant,” said Dr Anupam Sibal, Group Medical Director, Apollo Hospitals.  “She underwent a transplant on January 7 and received an ABO incompatible graft from her mother. Liver transplant is a successful modality for end stage liver diseases for both children and adults.

The Apollo Liver Transplant program has conducted over 3650 liver transplants so far,” said Dr Sibal.
She was treated under the supervision of Dr Neerav Goyal, Senior Consultant, Liver Transplant and Dr Smita Malhotra, Consultant, Paediatric Hepatology at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals. “Biliary atresia is a rare disease of the bile ducts that affects only infants. It is a life threatening end stage liver disease and liver transplant is the only resort,” said Dr Goyal.