A two-year-old child, suffering from a complex liver disease, has a new shot at life, thanks to a life-saving transplant performed on her by a team of doctors at the Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) here.

Sreelekshmi, born to her parents after 18 years of marriage, was transplanted with a portion of the liver donated by her father himself. The family hails from Shoranur, Palakkad.

Sreelekshmi’s liver disease began in infancy and she was diagnosed with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, a rare autosomal recessive disorder of the liver (Though both parents carry a copy of faulty genes, they remain carriers only while the condition manifests in the offspring). She had been undergoing treatment in Kochi and came to KIMS when her condition worsened and a liver transplant emerged as the only option to save her.

Doctors at KIMS said that the child’s asthma was something that aggravated the complexity of the transplant. The father’s liver was found to be more compatible for the child.

Liver transplants in children who weigh less than 10 kg are rarely successful but Sreelekshmi, who weighed just 7.5 kg, beat all odds and came through the surgery well.

She was ready to be discharged, according to a statement issued by KIMS.

The transplant was done by a team of doctors at KIMS, led by Venugopal and Shabeer Ali, liver transplant surgeons, and other specialists.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thirvananthapuram / by Special Correspondent / Thirvananthapuram – July 09th, 2014