Making use of the advancements in the field of liver transplant surgeries, doctors at Fortis Hospital Gurugram successfully saved lives of two men from Amritsar, who were severely suffering from liver cirrhosis.
Women from their family stepped forward to save lives of their loved ones and donated a part of the liver. Both of them successfully underwent laparoscopic liver transplant surgery, which was performed in a minimally invasive manner, thus making a swift recovery with minimal risk of infection.
Mr Harsharan Singh (47-Year-old) was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis due to alcohol and had been suffering for over 10 years. Mr Gurpreet Singh (51-year-old) was diagnosed with Non – Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) related Liver Cirrhosis, 5 years back. They were initially taking medicines in consultation with the local doctors, however, their illness continued to progress requiring hospitalization multiple times in Amritsar with complaints of jaundice, fluid in stomach, pain in chest & stomach and mental confusion. Accordingly, both patients consulted the doctors from Fortis Hospital, Gurugram who makes their monthly OPD visits to Sarvhit Gastrocity and were advised to undergo liver transplant.
Dr. Vivek Vij, Chairman, LTP & HBP Surgery, Fortis Hospitals, Delhi-NCR said, “These patients were brought to us at a stage of Cirrhosis, a late stage of scarring (fibrosis), in which normal liver functioning is severely affected and undergoing liver transplant is the only option. At this stage it is imperative that the patients should be referred to the liver transplant team on time. “
Liver is a very unique which has the capacity to grow back to the near normal size and functioning in a period of few months to a year. Any healthy family member who is of age 18-50 years with no major medical problems can be assessed for being a liver donor. Over the years, the donor surgery procedure has evolved and become very safe.
Dr Vij further added, “The main problem we face with such patients is delay in referral to liver transplant centre and finding a suitable liver donor. The laparoscopic liver donor surgery which is the latest innovation in this field, is very advantageous over conventional open donor surgery due to less pain, faster recovery, and better aesthetic outcomes.
After being diagnosed with liver disease 10 years back, I did not follow the treatment regime and discontinued medications. I was told to completely cut down on alcohol strictly, which I dint adhere to. During the COVID- 19 lockdown my alcohol consumption increased further which impacted my liver even more and in December 2020 my pain aggravated and I had to get admitted due to continued jaundice. Whenever I used to drink, I had chest and stomach pain along with vomiting. While admitted in hospital for two month I started to lose my consciousness, my oxygen level dropped and I was shifted to ICU with oxygen support. Dr Vivek and his team during his OPD visit at Sarvhit Gastrocity advised me to undergo liver transplantation. Now I do not have any pain, don’t have nausea and have resumed my work like normal.” Said Mr. Harsharan Singh, the patient.
I am thankful to my sister who volunteered to donate a part of her liver and the treating doctors. I was diagnosed with fatty liver disease in 2016, and my condition has been deteriorating ever since, with complaints of heaviness in chest and nausea. After confirmation of liver cirrhosis through an ultrasound, I was managed through medications along with necessary precautions. After a year I started to bleed from the mouth even though endoscopy reports were clear. Due to severe hypotension (due to loss of blood) I was hospitalized and continued on medication until I witnessed breathing difficulties and continuous swelling in stomach and feet, due to fluid accumulation. While the only option to save my life was a liver transplantation.” Said Mr Gurpreet Singh, the patient
Dr Gurbilas Singh, Director, Gastroentrology, Hepatology & Interventional Endoscopy, Sarvhit Gastrocity, Amritsar said, “Sarvhit Gastrocity is a centre for all gastroenterology and liver diseases serving the patients in this region for over the last 3 years. We have been treating patients with liver diseases and guiding them for tertiary care procedures like liver transplant surgeries which are not done as a routine in Punjab. Contrary to the popular misunderstanding, the doctors here strongly believe that quality of life as well it’s meaningful prolongation is possible after such procedures in carefully selected patients. Team of doctors from Fortis Gurugram coming to Sarvhit makes it easier for timely intervention in serious cases.”
