Academics

Post Doctoral Fellowships

Fellowship Programs offered by RILDT

Post-Doctoral Clinical Fellowships in Hepatobiliary Surgery & Liver Transplantation

This is a university recognized Post-Doctoral fellowship program in Liver Transplantation in India. The duration of fellowship is one year for HPB surgery & one year for Liver Transplantation. The prospective candidates should have completed their specialist training in GI surgery (MCh or DNB). Applications are accepted once a year and the posts are advertised in all national newspapers. The fellowships are fully funded, and the candidates will be incorporated into the unit’s regular work schedule.

Post-Doctoral Clinical Fellowships in Liver Transplant Anaesthesia

This post-doctoral fellowship in Liver Transplantation and HPB Anaesthesia is recognized by The Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, Chennai, India. The duration of the fellowship program is one year and the requirements of a trainee are (1) DNB or MD in Anaesthesia and the (2) ability to work as part of a team. There are 2 posts available each year and the course starts in Jan/July. The fellowships are fully funded and the candidates will be incorporated into the unit’s regular work schedule. Trainees will complete a university certified examination as per the university regulations before the fellowship degree is conferred. The main goal of the Fellowship is to help fellows become clinical experts in the perioperative care of liver transplantation and Hepatobiliary anaesthesia and evolve into academic leaders in transplant anaesthesiology.

This Fellowship program will offer a comprehensive curriculum emphasizing perioperative care of patients for liver transplantation and other HPB surgeries. Fellows, along with a supervising consultant, will participate in the preoperative evaluation of the candidates at the outpatient clinic, intraoperative anaesthetic care, and postoperative ICU care. We expect the Fellow to participate in more than 40 cases of liver transplantation and 50 major HPB cases in one-year time. They will also get exposure to equal number of cases in Liver intensive care.

Fellows are involved in assessment of recipients for transplantation, reviewing the considerations for transplant with the consultant in the clinic and together they plan further investigations and optimization. In addition to transplant recipients, the fellows will be involved in the evaluation of prospective living related donors. Counselling and preparation of donors regarding the perioperative period, thoracic epidurals and other modalities of pain management is a major commitment of the department and the transplant program. The training program also includes exposure to optimization of cadaver organ donors. In addition, they will get a vast exposure to planning and evaluating for major liver resections with vascular involvement, prediction and management of post hepatectomy liver failure in the ICU. Other routines include sedation for procedures like paediatric radiology, liver biopsy, interventional procedures, endoscopy and ERCP.

Fellows will gain good exposure to hemodynamic monitoring modalities like PiCCO and TEE, coagulation monitoring modalities like TEG and intracranial pressure monitoring modalities.

Our Academic Program

Regular attendance at the weekly pretransplant listing meeting, inpatient discussion meeting, monthly mortality and morbidity meeting is encouraged apart from the dedicated teaching sessions.

We provide ample research opportunities with collaboration of colleagues from Transplant Surgery, Hepatology, and Critical Care Medicine. Our research program encourages Fellows to complete the on-going research projects and also initiate a new project. There will be opportunities to present findings at local, national and international meetings. Participation and presentation in academic conferences is encouraged and funded by the department.

The fellows under direct supervision with a consultant will participate in a 1:5 on-call Rota.

Visiting fellowship in Liver Transplantation

These are international fellowships for experienced foreign surgeons. These are usually self-funded or funded by the sponsoring authority in their own country. Duration of the fellowship is variable and depends on the level of seniority of the visiting surgeon. The candidate will receive a fellowship degree from the hospital on completion.

Clinical Observerships

These are short-term self-funded observerships in liver surgery, hepatology and liver anaesthesia ranging from one week to up to three months. The candidate will be able to take part in all the academic activities in the unit, be able to observe the surgical procedures and learn day to day clinical management of patients undergoing liver transplantation or major HPB procedures.

Research fellowships in liver biology

This is a university recognized research fellowship tailored for candidates who have a master’s degree in biomedical sciences interested in taking up research in liver biology. The post on successful completion will lead to a Doctorate degree conferred by the MGR medical university. The position is also open for medical doctors interested in gaining research experience in this exciting area. The posts are advertised annually in leading national newspapers and candidates will be selected by interview. These are funded positions and the candidates will receive a monthly salary. Candidates will be expected to apply for national and international research grants based on preliminary work funded through the unit.

Learning opportunities in the Unit

Our faculty has a strong academic and research backgrounds and Professor Rela has a great interest in training future clinicians in this specialty area of medicine. We offer a variety of training programs for interested candidates from around the world.

Learning opportunities for Surgeons

Operating exposure to deceased donor retrieval, paediatric & adult deceased donor and living donor liver transplantation, living donor hepatectomy and complex hepatobiliary surgery
Post-operative care of the liver transplant recipient and living donor
Outpatient management of post-transplant patients in transplant clinics (twice weekly)

Learning opportunities for Gastroenterologists/ Hepatologists

Pre-operative assessment and evaluation of patients with end stage liver disease for transplantation
Management of patients with acute liver failure
Post-operative ICU and ward management after transplantation
Managing Immunosuppression in the recipient
Outpatient management of post-transplant patients

Learning opportunities for Anaesthesists and Intensivists

Management of the brain stem dead donor
Anaesthetic evaluation of the transplant recipient
Anaesthetic management during liver transplantation and complex hepatobiliary surgery
Intensive care management of transplant recipients
Management of patients with acute liver failure