100 Pediatric Liver Transplants in 18 months
July 9, 2020
Setting up a Successful Liver transplant program is a challenging task as it requires team of expert surgeons, anesthetics, hepatologists, intensivists etc along with state-of-the-art infrastructure. Apart from doctors, it requires supportive team of nurses, transplant coordinators, dieticians, councilors etc. to help people with transplantation and the process involved in it. It is even more challenging to set up a large volume pediatric liver transplant program in a short span. Any program that does more than 30 paediatric liver transplant is considered to be large volume centres and it takes several yearsto reach this number. As the whole team has to be trained to handle children the availability of trained expertise is a limiting factor. As of today, there are only few paediatric liver transplant programs around the world that does more than 50 paediatric LT/ year. Performing more than 100 paediatric transplant in 18 months of start of a new center is an achievement
Paediatric Multiorgan transplant program was started in Dec 2018 at Dr Rela Institiute and Medical centre to provide liver, kidney and Bone marrow transplant to children. By May 2020 over a period of 18 months, the paediatric liver transplant program at Rela Institute has completed more than 100 liver transplantation in children and achievement no other new liver transplant center has achieved. This is not just straight forward liver transplants in children but includes complex combined liver kidney transplants, auxiliary liver transplant etc. This is not possible without the guidance of Prof. Mohamed Rela, who is a visionary and his keen interest in setting up separate unit for Multiorgan transplantation in children.
An impossible feat made possible through our expertise, external contribution and trust of parents
Our achievement of 100 pediatric LT in a short span is not because of the number of procedures, but the joy and smile we brought to the families who have benefited by the service. It has been accomplished for the first time in the world. Infact we are proud to say that our unit stands as the second largest Paediatric liver transplant program in the world
An achievement within this achievement is the successful liver transplant in a 1-month-old baby, the youngest in India, who today is a healthy 1 year old, bubbling with life. What this proves is that, no child is too young to have a life saving liver transplant.
We thank the Government of Tamil Nadu, Praveen Agarwal Foundation and the Internet Platforms for providing financial support to the families. The Government of Tamil Nadu sponsored many children through their insurance scheme, and NGO Praveen Agarwal Foundation and crowdfunding played a major role in raising funds for many others. This record feat would not have been possible without their support and trust of the parents