VIMS becomes first government hospital in A.P. to perform liver transplant

A view of the VIMS hospital in Visakhapatnam. File
| Photo Credit: DEEPAK KR

The Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) has created a new record by becoming the first hospital in the government sector in Andhra Pradesh to successfully perform a liver transplant. The doctors of VIMS performed the complicated surgery, which is being done only by corporate hospitals, so far.

A man, hailing from Srikakulam district, became brain-dead on March 2. The family members of the victim were counselled on the importance of organ donation and they readily agreed to donate. The liver was retrieved from a brain-dead donor and successfully transplanted in a 40-year-old patient by the surgeons at VIMS.

The organs of the brain-dead victim were harvested and sent to VIMS on March 3. A 40-year-old, whose liver was badly damaged, had registered on the Jeevandan portal, and was waiting for a donor. The donor liver was transplanted in him by the doctors, in accordance with the order of priority as per Jeevandan guidelines.

The surgery was performed by a team of doctors, including a surgical gastroenterologist, medical gastroenterologist, anaesthetist and doctors from general medicine. After the surgery, the team of doctors, under the supervision of Director of VIMS K. Rambabu, kept a constant watch on his health and ensured his speedy recovery.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Anagani Satya Kumar Yadav took to the social media platform ‘X’ to commend the doctors of VIMS on their accomplishment. It is for the first time that doctors of a government hospital in A.P. have achieved this distinction. He congratulated the team of doctors, who successfully conducted the surgery, and VIMS Director K. Rambabu for coordinating with the team. He also appreciated the gesture of the victim’s family for coming forward to donate his organs, overcoming their grief.

Dr. Rambabu said that liver transplant was a critical surgery. Special tests have to be done and the recipient has to be under constant medical supervision to ensure that he does not catch infections. The recipient was under observation for a week, and has recovered fully. Dr. Rambabu congratulated the medical team on their achievement. He thanked the Special Chief Secretary (Health, Medical and Family Welfare) M.T. Krishna Babu and Director of Medical Education DSVL Narasimham for encouraging VIMS to undertake the liver transplant.