Liver transplant successful on 3-year-old child at MDNTC

The Martyr Dharmabhakta National Transplant Centre (Human Organ Transplant Centre) in Bhaktapur has successfully transplanted liver on a three-year-old patient for the first time, making the Centre self-reliant in liver transplant.

The 30-year-old mother of the toddler originally from Birgunj, Parsa donated her liver to her son, said Dr Pukar Chandra Shrestha, Centre’s executive director and senior transplant surgeon. Dr Shrestha, under whose leadership the transplant on the toddler was conducted, shared that the health condition of the toddler was normal at present.

The Centre had not performed transplant of liver on such a young kid earlier, according to Dr Shrestha. The Centre at present performs four liver transplants in four consecutive days in a week, he informed.

The Centre, established by the government in 2012, had first successfully transplanted kidney in 2016 with technical assistance from transplant surgeons from South Korea making it the first centre in the country to accomplish feat.

Later, critical surgery was being performed in the Centre with the assistance from surgeons from India. The Centre now independently conducts organ transplant on the patients by the team of Nepali surgeons.

Over 1,200 patients have undergone liver transplants since its establishment.