Chennai, 26th March 2022: Kauvery Hospital Chennai, a unit of Kauvery Group of Hospitals, a leading multispecialty healthcare chain in Tamil Nadu, today announced two successful pediatric living donor liver transplants.
A girl child aged 4 years from Arakkonam, Chennai, and a boy aged 2 years from West Bengal, who were brought to Kauvery Hospital Chennai, was diagnosed to have liver diseases that needed a liver transplant at the earliest, to save their lives.
Speaking on the transplant procedure, Dr. Elankumaran K, Senior Consultant & Head – Liver Disease and Transplantation Centre said, “The first child, a 4-year-old girl was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder which can be cured only through a liver transplant. After evaluation, her mother was found to be a suitable donor. The transplant was performed successfully and all underlying conditions were treated.
The second child, a 2-year-old boy, suffered from fever and jaundice for a week and was later referred to our hospital for high-end treatment. The baby was diagnosed with Severe Liver Failure and was placed under Intensive Care. Soon he became unconscious and was taken up for an emergency liver transplant. Evaluation of the members of the family led to his father emerging as a suitable donor. Within 2 days of admission, the child underwent Living Donor Liver Transplantation and recovered without any complications.
Both children were monitored and supported very carefully, under intensive care, by a highly experienced team of doctors, nurses, and technicians. “Extending support beyond treatment’ has been our motto, and we are glad to have achieved this in both these transplants.”
Both the children recovered completely without any complications, and are active. The treatment charges of the 4-year-old girl child were met by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS) while the 2-year-old child was partially funded by Kauvery Hospital and crowdfunding.
Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, said, “I congratulate Dr. Elankumaran and the team at Kauvery Hospital on the success of pediatric liver transplants. Liver Transplantation in our country was out of reach for many, and today Kauvery Hospital Chennai, which houses world-renowned surgeons and state-of-the-art infrastructure, has made the transplant services accessible and affordable for everyone and has thus removed boundaries. The treatments which were funded through various sources have given a new lease of life to the children. This shall instill great hope among people who continue to be hesitant to undergo such treatments at private hospitals. I urge all parents to seek the right medical help at the right time, as children are the future leaders of our country. A child’s health is the country’s health and wealth.”
Speaking on the success of the transplants, Dr. Aravindan Selvaraj, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Kauvery Hospital, Chennai said, “Performing pediatric liver transplants comes with a lot of challenges, and the right expertise under the right infrastructure is absolutely necessary for the success of a transplant. Specialised care in pediatric hepatology (the science of liver diseases) is provided to ensure that the child recovers without complications. We as a team aim to be number one in liver transplants, and we are proud to be providing liver transplants across tier 2 cities in Tamil Nadu, away from Chennai. Our vision is affordability and accessibility for liver transplants across all sections of society. I congratulate Dr. Elankumaran and the team for providing comprehensive state-of-the-art and science care for children with such life-threatening liver diseases, thereby helping them lead a good quality of life. Not many are aware that the liver is an organ that has the potential to regrow in the donor after a portion is donated, and also grow to normal size in the recipient. This awareness can help families to come forward for living donor liver transplants thereby helping their loved ones lead a new lease of life.”
Photo Caption- Left to Right
Dr. Iyappan Ponnuswamy, Medical Director
Dr. Aravindan Selvaraj, Co-Founder & Executive Director
Baby Shreyan P
Ms. Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Member of Parliament
Baby Keerthana M
Dr. N Ezhilan, MLA, Thousand Lights
Dr. Elankumaran K, Senior Consultant, Head – Liver Disease & Transplantation Centre
