Liver transplant training at ziauddin hospital, soon.

Recently, a two-year-old child named; Nalain Aziz, became the 500th Pakistani, to successfully receive a liver transplant from India. Aziz was suffering from a rare ailment called – biliary atresia. His liver and intestine had lost connection. This disease in children usually develops progressive jaundice and the patient needs to undergo a specific surgery known as the Kasai operation.

According to earlier reports, the young patient had also gone through an unsuccessful surgery when he was only two months old. The hospital had declared that Aziz's liver had failed and he needs a transplant. Aziz was then referred to the Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in India, which has a success rate of over 90 percent in such cases. Fortunately, Aziz's mother could become his donor, because their blood group matched.

Aziz was referred to India through a project called “Peace Clinic”. The project was initiated by Naved Aslam, a Pakistani who was treated for a heart problem in India. In the next phase, the Ziauddin University Hospital in Karachi - a partner of the Peace Clinic, will receive surgeons from India who will teach the finer details of liver transplant surgeries to Pakistani doctors.

Since 1998, when the first successful liver transplant was performed in India, the Apollo Transplant Programme has performed 1,700 liver transplants in children and adults. The first patient who received his new kidney in India in 1998 is still healthy after 15 years of his liver transplant.

The chief liver transplant surgeon at Apollo Hospitals Delhi – Prof Subash Gupta said: “It is a proud moment for us to have completed 500 cases. We feel a sense of accomplishment by the faith and courage shown by our patients, who have traveled such long distances for a liver transplant. It will be our endeavor to further help people from across the border to have access to quality and cost-effective transplantation at our centre.”