Eight-month-old smallest in Western India to get part of mother’s liver

Dr Somnath Chattopadhyay with Aayushi and her parents, Deepti and Sachin

An eight-month-old child became the smallest in western India to get a liver transplant. After two months in the hospital, Aayushi Bhurte went home on Wednesday last week.

Born with a rare congenital liver condition - Biliary Atresia, Aayushi was brought to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital (KDAH) during the peak of the second Covid wave.

"She had undergone liver surgery when she was two months old. When she was brought to us, she was severely underweight - only 3.9 kg," said Dr Somnath Chattopadhyay, chief transplant surgeon, who operated on Aayushi. He explained that instead of waiting for her to gain weight, they decided to go ahead with the transplant as her condition was deteriorating.

Challenging procedure

Aayushi's mother was found eligible for the donation. "She is one of the smallest infants to undergo a successful liver transplant in Western India. Her weight, small size and previous surgery made the transplant extremely challenging. Even the smallest portion of the liver was too big for her," said Dr Chattopadhyay.

The 12-hour transplant surgery was planned using a virtual 3D model of the mother's liver. "We cut around 280 gm - 15 per cent - of Deepti's liver.

We had to cut it further and make it 180 gm, while also ensuring that the 3 mm-vein, 1 mm-artery and 2 mm bile duct remain intact for the liver to function on its own and so that the blood supply is not affected," said Dr Chattopadhyay.

Dr Santosh Shetty, Executive Director and CEO, KDAH, said the funds were arranged with the help of Mandke Foundation, various NGOs and crowdfunding. Keeping the pandemic in mind, the child stayed in the ICU for a longer period. "Normally, we keep liver transplant children in ICU for two weeks. Aayushi stayed in it for four weeks," said Dr Shetty. Dr Shetty also mentioned an eight-month-old boy, Jiyaan, who recently got a part of his father's liver.

Deepti said they found out about Aasyushi's condition after she got jaundice and had a bloated stomach. "Everything was going fine after the first surgery. But suddenly her bilirubin levels went up when she was six months old," Deepti said.

Now at their Dadar home, the 26-year-old wants to spend some quality time with her daughter. "Since her birth, we have spent most of the time in the hospital. I want to give her the best home comfort and love," Deepti said.

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What is Biliary Atresia

Biliary Atresia blocks the bile flow from the liver, causing irreversible damage and scarring of the liver cells. The condition affects 1 in 12,000 children and leads to jaundice and liver failure. It can be surgically corrected with a 40% success rate if diagnosed early after birth.