KOCHI: The first liver transplant in India for a rare genetic disorder, despite a blood group mismatch, was performed on a two-year-old boy from New Delhi, at Rajagiri Hospital.
Umar was suffering from Methylmalonic Acidemia (MMA) — a rare inherited metabolic disorder. Symptoms had started just three days after his birth, and Saniya, Umar’s mother, visited several hospitals in New Delhi. The condition was finally diagnosed as MMA at AIIMS. Doctors concluded that a liver transplant was the only viable treatment. However, the facility did not have the infrastructure for the said paediatric liver condition. Considering the urgency, Dr Sharath R S, a pediatrician at AIIMS, posted an appeal from his account @tinyphysician on X seeking help.
Dr Cyriac Abby Philips from Rajagiri Hospital responded, stating that necessary medical infrastructure was available at the hospital and that financial assistance would also be provided. Saniya arrived at Rajagiri Hospital with her child on February 11.
Further tests revealed that Umar’s liver function had severely deteriorated, necessitating an emergency transplant. A fully compatible donor could not be identified within the family. Saniya then asked whether her partially matched liver could be used to save her son’s life. She volunteered, and the medical team offered their support.
A specialised multidisciplinary team led by Dr Biju Chandran, senior consultant - GI, HPB and Multiorgan Transplant Surgery at Rajagiri Hospital, was formed for the surgery. Perhaps, for the first time in the country, doctors from both Rajagiri and AIIMS collaborated to perform a liver transplant for a child with this rare genetic disorder on February 13 this year.
“In transplants involving blood group incompatibility, the body’s immune system may reject the new liver. Umar was given plasmapheresis and immunosuppressive therapy to reduce antibodies in his system before surgery. This protocol, significantly more expensive than standard procedures, was essential for the transplant’s success,” said Dr Biju.
On Wednesday, Umar transitioned from a specialised synthetic protein diet to normal food. His blood levels of MMA have dropped from 32,000 to a normal range of 600.