Bengaluru newborn undergoes liver transplant in Chennai

In a 10-hour-marathon surgery, experts at Dr Rela Institute and Medical Centre at Chennai have performed a liver transplant on a one-month-old baby.

Experts from the centre have claimed that the baby is the youngest patient in the country to undergo liver transplantation and is doing well after that.

The child received the transplant as he was vomiting severely in the first week of birth, requiring immediate hospitalisation, where he was diagnosed to have urea cycle disorder, a metabolic disorder.

Dr Mohammed Rela, chairman and managing director, Dr Rela Institute and Medical Care, said quick diagnosis and timely measures were initiated in Mumbai, which prevented the child from suffering brain damage.

Dr Naresh Shanmugam, pediatric hepatologist and director, women and child department, Dr Rela Institute and Medical Care, said the disorder the child was diagnosed with would result in high ammonia levels in the blood. “As the presence of ammonia in blood increases, it causes swelling in the brain resulting in coma and even death. Immediate action includes stopping protein intake and do dialysis to remove the ammonia. But liver transplantation is the permanent solution,” he said.