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India's First Ex-Situ Liver Surgery Saves Child
20 Jan
Summary
- A two-year-old girl underwent India's first ex-situ liver surgery.
- The complex 14-hour procedure involved removing and rebuilding her liver.
- This novel surgery was performed when transplant options were ruled out.
Doctors at Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children have achieved a significant medical milestone by performing India's first ex-situ liver surgery with autotransplantation on a two-year-old girl. The child, Aphsa, was diagnosed with locally advanced hepatoblastoma, a form of liver cancer.
Following initial chemotherapy, the tumor continued to obstruct major blood vessels, making standard surgical removal impossible. With liver transplantation ruled out due to a lack of available donors, the medical team opted for the rare ex-situ approach. This involved the temporary removal of Aphsa's entire liver from her body.
During the 14-hour operation on December 12, 2025, the excised liver was preserved externally for 4.5 hours using specialized cooling and perfusion technology. Surgeons meticulously removed approximately 70-80 percent of the cancerous tissue and reconstructed the healthy liver segment before returning it to the child. Simultaneously, another surgical team worked inside Aphsa to reconstruct her major blood vessels, ensuring a successful autotransplantation.
