Fortis Hospital Noida has announced the successful completion of what it describes as the world’s first fully laparoscopic dual-lobe living donor liver transplant, marking a significant advancement in complex liver transplant surgery. The landmark procedure was carried out by a multidisciplinary transplant team led by Dr. Vivek Vij, Chairman, Liver Transplant and Hepatobiliary Sciences.
Unlike conventional dual-lobe living donor transplants, both donor hepatectomies in this case were performed using minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery. According to the hospital, this innovative approach is expected to improve donor recovery by reducing post-operative pain, blood loss, hospital stay and recovery time, while maintaining high standards of donor safety.
The recipient, a 51-year-old man from Kyrgyzstan, was suffering from end-stage liver disease caused by chronic Hepatitis B infection. He arrived at the hospital with severe complications, including jaundice, repeated abdominal fluid accumulation (ascites), gastrointestinal bleeding and episodes of altered consciousness. Medical investigations also identified portal hypertension, low platelet count, impaired blood clotting and extensive liver damage.
After evaluating the patient’s condition, the transplant team concluded that a single living donor liver graft would not provide sufficient liver volume. To overcome this challenge, doctors planned a dual-lobe living donor transplant using liver grafts donated by the patient’s two daughters, aged 20 and 21.
The laparoscopic donor surgeries were completed in nearly five hours each, while the recipient underwent an approximately eight-hour transplant procedure. Following surgery, both donors recovered well and were discharged in good health. The recipient also made a stable recovery and was discharged from the hospital. Examination of the removed liver later confirmed chronic hepatitis associated with Hepatitis B and Hepatitis D infections, along with advanced liver damage.
“Dual-lobe living donor liver transplantation is among the most technically demanding procedures in transplant surgery and is performed only at a handful of centres worldwide. Accomplishing it through a completely laparoscopic approach for both donors marks a major milestone in living donor liver transplantation,” said Dr. Vij.
Mohit Singh, Zonal Director of Fortis Hospital Noida, said the successful procedure reflects the hospital’s growing expertise in managing highly complex liver transplant cases and demonstrates the capabilities of its advanced transplant programme.
The hospital stated that the achievement was made possible through the coordinated efforts of liver transplant surgeons, anaesthetists, critical care specialists, nursing teams and other healthcare professionals who collaborated throughout the patient’s treatment.
The successful completion of this complex procedure highlights the rapid progress being made in minimally invasive transplant surgery. If recognized as a global first, the technique could open new possibilities for treating patients who require larger liver grafts while offering living donors the benefits of faster recovery and reduced surgical trauma.
(Photo credit: fortishealthcare.com)