The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar, has achieved a significant medical milestone by successfully performing its first liver transplant. The landmark procedure highlights the institute’s growing capabilities in providing advanced and life-saving medical care.
The transplant involved a middle-aged male patient suffering from end-stage liver disease caused by chronic alcohol-related liver damage. A living donor transplant was performed, with the patient’s younger brother donating a portion of his liver. The complex surgery, conducted on December 20, lasted nearly 14 hours and required the coordinated efforts of a multidisciplinary team comprising over 50 medical professionals.
According to Prof. Manas Kumar Panigrahi, Head of the Department of Gastroenterology at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, the successful transplant was the result of years of planning and preparation.
“Liver transplantation is among the most challenging surgical procedures. Over the last two to three years, we have systematically built the required infrastructure and trained specialized teams. With all systems in place, we were finally able to perform this complex surgery successfully,” he said.
Prof. Panigrahi added that the patient had been suffering from advanced liver failure accompanied by ascites, a condition marked by fluid accumulation in the abdomen. The medical team carefully stabilized the patient before surgery to ensure optimal outcomes.
AIIMS Bhubaneswar Executive Director Dr. Ashutosh Biswas confirmed that both the donor and recipient are recovering well. “It has been more than 10 days since the surgery, and both patients are stable. The donor has already been discharged, and the recipient continues to be monitored closely,” he said.
The successful transplant marks a major leap forward for AIIMS Bhubaneswar in providing advanced organ transplant services and opens new avenues for treating patients with end-stage liver disease in eastern India.
