Mumbai Surgeons Split Liver, Saving Adult and Child

Doctors in Mumbai performed a highly complex split liver transplant, using one organ from a brain-dead donor to save two individuals: a 44-year-old man and a three-year-old child. This rare procedure allowed a single liver to benefit two patients suffering from end-stage liver disease. The adult recipient, Netaji Chavan, had been awaiting a transplant since April 2021 due to decompensated cirrhosis. The child, Charvik Ingle, was diagnosed with cryptogenic cirrhosis, affecting his growth significantly. The organ donation occurred on February 9, facilitated by a 38-year-old brain-dead donor at AIMS Hospital in Dombivli. Specialized instruments were transported to divide the liver into portions for the adult and child recipients. The intricate surgeries concluded between February 9 and February 10, lasting approximately 15 to 17 hours with multiple surgical teams working concurrently. Both patients, Chavan and Charvik, recovered well, with Chavan discharged on February 21 and Charvik on February 28. This technique, while common in Western countries, is rarely performed in India, where pediatric donors are scarce. The Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre (ZTCC) is encouraging the splitting of suitable donor livers to benefit both adult and child patients. Such procedures are uncommon due to strict medical criteria for donor livers, with transplant costs ranging from approximately ₹16.5 lakh for pediatric cases to ₹19.5 lakh for adults.