Kazakhstan boy gets almost new intestine in Mumbai

MUMBAI: A nine-year-old boy from Kazakhstan became the first pediatric patient to undergo an innovative intestinal transplant in India using a donation from a live donor, his maternal uncle.
On Friday, the patient, Bekarys Zhumabek, and his mother Shynargul Nassipkaliyeva spoke through a translator about how he is feeling good for the first time in four months since he developed midgut volvulus, a condition in which the intestines twist themselves, and lost a sizeable portion of his intestines.
Doctors at Global Hospital, Parel, where he was treated, said Bekarys is recovering well and has already started eating orally.
Transplant method used only once before
The intestinal transplant on 9-year-old Kazakh Bekarys Zhumabek, conducted on January 30, lasted for 14 hours as doctors used a new technique that has previously only been used in a Chicago hospital. “This is the first time in India that we put a free flap graft from the donor’s thigh on the child’s thigh to be able to check for any early rejection,” said transplant surgeon Dr Gaurav Chaubal.
Barely 24 intestinal trans- plants have been conducted in India so far, including 20 using donation from a deceased donor. In Bekarys’s case, he lost portions of both his small and large intestine, leading to short bowel syndrome on parenteral (intravenous) nutrition after developing midgut volvulus.
He started losing weight and was highly malnourished when he was referred to Global Hospital in December 2022. Pediatric gastroenterologist Dr Lalit Verma said, “Bekarys was referred to us as he had exhausted all treatment options in his country. We counselled the family about living donor intestine transplant and his maternal uncle came forward for organ donation.”
The patient’s mother, Shynargul Nassipkaliyeva, told reporters that she is grateful to India and doctors here for having “her child back”. “Seeing him lose weight and not eat anything orally, I was devastated as any child of his age dreams of eating everything. This surgery will allow my child to return back to normalcy,” she said