At the Apollo Hospital doctors have conducted a liver transplant on a seven- month-old child Sivojit Paul from Kolkata. He was born with a rare disorder, called biliary atresia, in this condition there is no connection between the liver and the intestine to excrete the bile.

Sivojit was brought to the Indraprastha Apollo hospital when he was only six months old. The liver transplant was performed last month by a team of 20 doctors led by Dr Subhash Gupta, senior consultant with the hospital. His father Indrajit Paul, a lawer, donated his liver parts for the surgery. It was a 16-hour long surgery to give a new lease of life to Sivojit Paul. He was the youngest child to undergo such a surgery in India.

Dr Anupam Sibal, a senior pediatric gastroentologist said, “In biliary atresia there is no connection between liver and intestine, so bile cannot be excreted. Only 1 out of 1200 babies suffer from this condition. There is no other option but to conduct a liver transplant in such a case.” He added, “His case was a major challenge for us due his young age and worsening health condition.”

According to doctor Sibal, usually liver transplant is performed if the child is above the age of one year because the risk is very high at such a young age. The doctor said, the toddler was a “high risk” baby as his general condition was weak and he had undergone a Kasai surgery to join the liver and intestine, only two months back.  

“As the liver transplant was the only way left to save the baby, we decided to go with the option even after even after high risk,” said Dr Subhash Gupta.

After the successful operation the boy is on the way to recovery and the doctors at Apollo believe that with proper medication and care Sivojit will be able to live a normal life. His mother said, “This is a Durga Puja gift for me.”