Apollo Celebrates 8th Anniversary Of India's 1st Successful Liver Transplant

EHM News Bureau

Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi

Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals recently celebrated the eighth anniversary of India's first successful liver transplant, which was carried out on two-year-old Sanjay Kandaswamy in 1998. Also, as part of its renewed initiative to tackle the need to better address organ transplantation, the hospital has launched Apollo Transplant Centre, which will be devoted to this particular specialty.

According to Dr Anupam Sibal, Director, Medical Services, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, "We at Apollo are very proud at the progress made by our transplant unit and it has truly made a difference to many patients in dire need of organ donation. Also, I want to take this opportunity to thank all those who have pledged their organs on this occasion, as it will not only set a wonderful precedent, but also help in saving many lives. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that no person in this country has to suffer for want of an organ or donor."

Transplantation of human organs is undoubtedly one of the greatest medical breakthroughs of this century. With faster improvements in transplant technology, solid organ transplantation is gradually becoming the treatment of choice for many conditions. However, very few Indian patients are able to benefit from this medical advancement.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr SN Mehta, Senior Consultant, Transplant and General Surgery, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, who was previously with AIIMS, stated, "A proactive attitude towards organ donation, counselling for relatives for organ donation in the event of brain death, adequate hospital infrastructure, matching and distribution of the organs and co-ordination amongst hospitals, will ensure that we convert the current programme to the level of those in the West. With the launch of Apollo Transplant Centre we hope to achieve some of those goals."

Shortage of donors and organs has impeded the necessary thrust required to save more lives that can otherwise be saved with a cadaveric or living donor liver transplant. To raise awareness about organ donation, 50 doctors and staff of Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals pledged their organs along with several transplant patients who have already undergone difficulty in finding organs when required.

According to Dr (Prof) Anant Kumar, Senior Consultant, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, who was previously at Sanjay Gandhi PGIMER, Lucknow, "The Human Organ Transplantation Act has legalised the concept of brain death for the first time in India. Since the passing of the legislation in India, it has become possible to undertake organ transplants from brain dead donors. Improved infrastructure such as ventilators and other emergency measures are necessary to improve the lives of accident victims. Also, routine brain death certification in neurosurgical wards could significantly increase the number of cadaver donors. Furthermore, relatives need to be educated about the futility of keeping brain dead accident victims 'alive'. A good motivator is needed to encourage people to donate organs."

Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, which has been successfully running its transplant unit since 1998, has is not only one of the country's most sophisticated programme, but it has also made global footprints with numerous overseas patients seeking its services round the year. The unit has done over 50 liver transplants and close to 700 kidney transplants since its inception. Along the way, the hospital has been credited with many firsts in this field and has brought innovations to better address organ transplantation.

"Along with conventional approaches to liver transplantation, we have also introduced revolutionary new methods like the Hong Kong technique, which drastically reduces transplant cost. It has been our endeavour to make transplantation more acceptable and affordable and at the same time provide the impetus required in this field to create awareness and help those in dire need," said Dr Subash Gupta, Senior Consultant, Apollo Transplant Centre.