A 16-year old girl with acute liver failure got a new lease of life after a city hospital conducted liver transplant from a live donor, who happened to be her uncle.

Steffy, who was critically ill, was diagnosed to have acute liver
failure and hepatic coma and the only option to save her life was an emergency liver transplant operation.

Though, her case was prioritized as emergency and organ sought from the Tamil Nadu Organ Society (TNOS), there was no liver available for the 48 hours, a release from PSG Hospital said here today.

As the condition of the patient was deteriorating, both her
father and uncle, in desperation came forward to donate part of their liver so that they could save her life and investigation found uncle’s liver suitable for transplant.

Living related transplantation is done where first-degreerelatives can donate half of their liver to the patient, Dr. L Venkatkrishnan, Chief Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist,said in the release.

The hospital got approval from a committee to go ahead with thesurgery, and it was performed by the HPB and Liver Transplant surgeons Dr.Gursharan Singh, Dr. Joseph and Dr. Swaminathan along with the anesthesiology and critical care team Dr.Maninder Kaur and Dr.Prashanth, the release said.

The complex surgery lasted 14 hours where half the liver was
split, removed from the uncle and transplanted into the patient after removing her failed live.

The partial new liver is functioning well and her uncle’s
remnant liver is also functioning and regenerating well. Steffy will be ready to go back to school in a month’s time and accomplish her dreams” says Dr Singh, Head Of Department HPB and Liver Transplantation Surgery