The patient was leading a regular life, until one day when he developed a high fever and started to vomit. Within five days he had to be admitted to a tertiary care hospital in an altered state of consciousness.

It is said that a mother’s love is unconditional and like no other. It was found to be true in the case of a 12-year-old boy who received a part of his mother’s liver in a lifesaving surgery. The child was diagnosed with acute liver failure in Surat, with liver transplant being the only chance of survival. The timely surgery was done at Global Hospital, Mumbai under Dr Gaurav Chaubal, Dr Lalit Verma, and team. Following the 12-hour transplant, the child is now healthy, discharged from the hospital, and gearing up to return to school. Read on to find out more about the case.

The patient was leading a regular life, until one day when he developed a high fever and started to vomit. While he received outpatient care with supportive treatment and oral antibiotics in Surat, within five days he had to be admitted to a tertiary care hospital in an altered state of consciousness. This happened in the month of December, 2023. Abnormal liver function tests indicated that he had liver failure for which an urgent transplant was needed. The boy was then transferred to Global Hospital in Parel, Mumbai for further treatment.

Ventilator Support And Risk Of Internal Bleeding

Dr Lalit Verma, senior consultant, pediatric liver transplant program, Global Hospitals, said that with continuous ‘higher requirement of ventilator support’ and ‘risk of internal bleeding’, a decision was made to perform a liver transplant on a ‘super-urgent basis’.

“[The patient had] severe acute liver failure secondary to the hepatitis A virus. Approximately 99 per cent of patients who contract hepatitis A infection recover without hospitalisation,” said the doctor. He added that 0.5 to 1 per cent of patients may require ICU care and some may need to undergo liver transplant with worsening of liver function (jaundice, bleeding, multi-organ failure).

“His mother with the same blood group came forward to donate a part of her liver. The required test was performed in a record time,” said Dr Verma.

Transplant And Recovery

Dr Gaurav Chaubal, director of liver, pancreas, intestine transplant and HPB surgery led a team to perform a 12-hour surgery. The boy responded well to the treatment and recovered in 12 days, and was later discharged.

“After the successful transplant, [the patient] has shown remarkable progress and a strong desire to return to normalcy. His appetite and overall activity have significantly improved. His eagerness to resume school reflects not only his determination, but his innate resilience,” said Dr Chaubal.