Mumbai: A team led by Dr Lalit Verma, Paediatric Gastroenterologist and liver transplant specialist at Wockhardt Group of Hospitals, Mira Road performed a successful complicated Kasai procedure on a 2-months-old baby. Baby HK was noticed to have increasing jaundice starting from 6 weeks of age. A systematic assessment and diagnostic were conclusive of a baby suffering from a rare congenital liver disease called Biliary Atresia. After a Kasai surgery, baby presently is 3 months old and baby is accepting feeds, passing normal stool and now weighs 4.3kg.
Parents Ronak (name changed) and Rina (name changed), residents of Mira Road were elated on the birth of their baby boy Krisha (name changed) to have their first child. He developed jaundice after 6weeks of birth. His parents noticed symptoms such as jaundice, pale stools, bloated stomach, dark urine and excessive irritability. Parents consulted Dr Samir Sheikh and Dr Lalit Verma about baby’s health. He was admitted to Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road.
Dr Lalit Verma Paediatric gastroenterologist, Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road highlighted, “At 6 weeks, the baby came presented with jaundice and symptoms such as the increased size of liver on sonography and liver biopsy was conducted that indicated the baby suffered from a rare congenital liver disease known as Biliary Atresia (BA). It is a condition wherein the connecting duct between the liver and intestines is either absent or malformed since birth with an unknown cause. The bile becomes stagnant in the liver and causes permanent liver damage. It is a fatal congenital liver disease found only 1 in 5,000 which goes undetected. After counselling the family, the baby was scheduled for Kasai portoenterostomy procedure as it has to be performed within the 90 days of diagnosis. Parents were counselled about the nature of the disease and the urgency to operate.
During the surgery, the surgeon’s Dr Kant and Dr Pankaj recreated a duct using small intestine and then attached to the liver. This provides a path that can allow bile to drain from the liver. Surgery is not a cure for biliary atresia but it helps the liver work better for many years as it corrects many of the symptoms caused by the atresia. The surgery lasted for how many 4hours. The baby was in the ICU for 2 days and then shifted to the normal ward where he stayed for 5 days before getting discharged. The baby is tolerating feeds, passing stool and weighs 4.3 kgs on a Follow up after surgery.
Many children with biliary atresia will have to undergo a liver transplant at some point. This may be needed in a few years after the Kasai procedure. Or, a transplant may not be needed for 10 years or more.
“Our world came crashing down on knowing about Krisha’s condition. Fortunately, he received timely treatment at Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road. We thank the doctors for saving his life. Krisha is back on track now,” concluded the patient’s joyous father Ronak.
