As the entire nation has been taken by storm over the gang rape of a 23-year-old, help has poured from different quarters.
The latest in the series is an offer by Sir Ganga Ram Hospital to conduct intestinal transplant on the victim free of cost.
Moved by the plight of the budding doctor who lost most of her intestines in the brutal assault, the management of SGRH has come forward to offer free intestinal transplantation and subsequent treatment to the victim.
Chairperson of SGRH Dr D S Rana communicated the offer to Dr B D Athani, medical superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital where the victim is being treated. SGRH had performed India’s first living donor intestinal transplant, reported in peer reviewed journal this year.
According to Dr Samiran Nundy, chairperson, department of surgical gastroenterology and organ transplantation, SGRH, “Intestinal failure occurs when most of the intestine is removed surgically, as in this case. Intestinal transplant is the only chance of survival with a normal functioning intestine for the unfortunate victim.”
Intestinal graft can be obtained in two ways — from a brain-dead donor or from a living related donor. Due to the scarcity of deceased-donor organs in India, the living donor is the preferred option. Both these options are available for the girl once her condition stabilises.
“In a normal individual, the length of small intestine is approximately 600 cm, of which 200 cm of intestine can be removed for transplantation without any adverse effect on the living donor,” said Dr Naimish Mehta, transplant surgeon, SGRH.
Intestinal failure can also happen due to diseases which prevent the bowel from absorbing nutrients or due to paralysis of the normal contractions of intestinal muscles that propel the food forward in the intestine. If not treated in time, this condition can lead to either liver damage or complete liver failure.