HYDERABAD: Nearly 50% patients in need of emergency or early liver transplant, who did not undergo the procedure due to the fear of contracting Covid-19 virus or on turning Covid-19 positive just before transplant surgery, died in 2020. This was one of the observations made by the transplant team at the Gleneagles Global Hospitals, Lakdikapul.
The study revealed that during Covid-19 lockdown and in the subsequent months, 48 patients were in need of a liver transplant. 23 patients were under regular medical supervision, didn’t contract Covid-19 infection and underwent successful liver transplantation, while seven patients with Covid-19 infection also successfully underwent liver transplant and survived.
Thirteen patients delayed the go in for the procedure due to the fear contracting the deadly virus or for associated reasons, and have died because of the delay. The remaining five patients, though prepared for liver transplant surgery but got infected with Covid-19 died in the pre-transplant phase. The main reason for these deaths was delay in transplant surgery rather than Covid-19 infection itself.
Commenting on the need for transplant in emergency, Dr Raghavendra Babu, clinical head and senior consultant liver transplant surgeon, said, “Any delay in undergoing transplant could be fatal. These patients and their family members delayed the procedure due to the fear of contracting coronavirus or other related reasons, and this delay proved costly for the victims who did not survive. It is important people do not delay transplant when condition worsens.”
“Between June and December last year, we performed 30 liver transplant procedures successfully here. Among these, seven recipients and three live donors were Covid-19 positive; and in two instances, both donors and recipients were found positive for coronavirus. Hence, it is important for people to note that liver transplant can be performed on patients who are cured of Covid-19 virus,” added Dr Raghavendra Babu.