Chandigarh: PGI adds another feather to its cap

Chandigarh, January 30

The PGI conducted its first-ever simultaneous pancreas & kidney transplants involving retrieval of pancreas from a deceased donor and kidneys from the sister of the patient.

Kundan Baitha (21) from Siswa Bairagi, West Champaran, Bihar, was going to some work when his bike skidded. His head hit against the road, leading to fatal head injury. He fell unconscious.

After getting the news, the family first got Kundan admitted to a regional hospital, Una. After seeing no improvement, Kundan was shifted to the PGI in an extremely critical condition. After seven days of struggle, he was declared brain dead by the PGI.

Grief-stricken father Narsingh Baitha consented to donate organs. Following the family’s consent, heart, liver, kidneys and pancreas were retrieved from the donor for transplantation to save others’ lives.

PGI Director Prof Vivek Lal said: “One develops a different level of respect for donor families like this one of Kundan Baitha, who sustain the hope in others by making it possible through their courageous decisions of organ donation braving their own tragedy.”

“With incessant efforts of the PGI team involved in the process, the momentum for organ donation certainly seems to be building up gradually. Though slow, we hope to inch closer to bridging the donor-recipient gap,” said Prof Lal.

Detailing about the case, Prof HS Kohli, Head, Department of Nephrology, PGI, said: “It was a huge challenge prepping for cadaver and live transplant simultaneously. The team worked in tandem and at a breakless pace to make it finally a success.”

Adding further, Prof Ashish Sharma, Head, Department of Renal Transplant Surgery, said: “Pancreas transplant is the only modality that is known to cure diabetes in the current era. At present, this modality is limited to a few hospitals in the country. The PGI, Chandigarh, has become the leader in pancreas transplant in the entire country over the past few years.”

Prof Ashish Sharma further elaborated: “The patient was suffering from Type 1 diabetes for the past 21 years and was facing a lot of difficulties. The diabetes had affected his kidneys and led to end-stage kidney failure requiring haemodialysis for the past three years. While on dialysis, his condition continued to deteriorate. In the past one year, he was having repeated admissions to the PGI Emergency for either fluid/electrolyte disturbances requiring emergency dialysis or due to episodes of hypo or hyperglycemia despite being managed by doctors from the Department of Endocrinology, Nephrology and Renal Transplant Surgery.”

While the patient’s sister was willing to donate her kidney, she could not donate her pancreas. As the waiting list for pancreas was too long, the patient, along with doctors, decided to proceed for kidney transplant alone which meant that the disease that caused kidneys to fail would still be there. Meanwhile, yesterday a donor family agreed to donate organs of their loved one where the kidneys had already been allocated to two while pancreas was available. Seeing this opportunity, the family was given the option to do an emergency living donor kidney transplant along with deceased donor pancreas transplant for which they agreed.

The operation lasted for 12 hours and involved nearly 30 medical persons from various departments. The combined transplant operation was successful without any complication. At present, the patient is maintaining a good urine output and normalisation of his blood sugars.

Operation lasts 12 hours

The operation lasted 12 hours and involved nearly 30 medical persons from various departments. The combined transplant operation was successful without any complication. At present, the patient is maintaining a good urine output and normalisation of his blood sugars.

Momentum for organ donation building up

With incessant efforts of the PGI team involved in the process, the momentum for organ donation certainly seems to be building up gradually. Though slow, we hope to inch closer to bridging the donor-recipient gap. — Prof Vivek Lal, PGI Director