Hyderabad, October,
2026 : In a
landmark pediatric liver transplant, a six-week-old baby weighing just 2.9
kilograms has successfully undergone a living-donor liver transplant at Rainbow
Children’s Hospital, Banjara Hills, after developing rapidly progressive liver
failure due to a rare condition called Gestational Alloimmune Liver Disease
(GALD). The baby received a 62-gram liver graft donated by his mother and,
after a complex recovery, was discharged breathing without oxygen and taking
full feeds by mouth, with the transplanted liver functioning well.
The
baby developed jaundice in the first week of life and progressed to severe
liver failure by three weeks. The Pediatric Gastroenterology and
Hepatology team
rapidly investigated the cause and suspected GALD after excluding important
infections, metabolic disorders and genetic causes. When intravenous
immunoglobulin and two exchange transfusions failed to stop the deterioration,
the team moved swiftly to liver transplantation.
At
just 2.9 kilograms, the baby’s extremely small blood vessels and limited space
in the abdomen made the transplant particularly challenging. The mother’s liver
graft was carefully reduced to 62 grams to match the baby’s size. Connecting
the tiny arteries and veins and positioning the graft safely required
exceptional surgical precision and expertise in pediatric liver
transplantation. Despite the complexity of the procedure, the transplant was
successfully completed.
The
post-operative period was equally challenging. The baby developed severe lung
problems requiring advanced breathing support, including high-frequency
oscillatory ventilation and inhaled nitric oxide. Bronchoscopy was used to
clear secretions and treat areas of lung collapse. He also developed serious
infections caused by bacteria resistant to several antibiotics. In addition, a
leak developed near one of the surgical joins (anastomotic site) in his
intestine, which led to a second surgery and the creation of temporary stomas,
openings on the abdomen that let the bowel rest and heal. The baby was managed
with prolonged intravenous nutritional support and oral feeds were gradually
restarted and increased under close monitoring until he was able to take full
feeds by mouth.
Dr. Prashant Bachina,
Pediatric Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist, said: Dr. Prashant Bachina, Pediatric
Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist, said: “In a newborn with rapidly worsening
liver failure, early diagnosis and timely transplantation can make the
difference between life and death. This is possible when a child is cared for
in a specialised pediatric centre where all the required expertise is available
under one roof. The recovery after transplant was equally challenging and
required close monitoring and multidisciplinary care. Close postoperative
monitoring, nutritional support and timely management of complications were
essential to protect the new liver and help the baby recover.”
Dr. Srinivas Reddy
Mettu, Pediatric Liver Transplant Surgery, said: “A liver transplant in a baby this small is a
highly complex procedure and requires a high level of surgical expertise and
precision. At 2.9 kilograms, the baby’s blood vessels were extremely tiny,
while the limited space in the abdomen added to the surgical challenge. The
mother’s liver graft also had to be carefully reduced to 62 grams to match the
baby’s size. Safely connecting the tiny blood vessels and positioning the graft
required meticulous planning, fine surgical skill and close teamwork.”
The
baby’s recovery involved close coordination between Pediatric Gastroenterology
and Hepatology, Pediatric Liver Transplant Surgery, Pediatric Anesthesia,
Pediatric Intensive Care, Neonatal Intensive Care, Pediatric Surgery,
Radiology, Nutrition, Physiotherapy, Infection Control, transplant-trained
nursing
staff, fellows and transplant coordinators, supported by Rainbow Children’s
Hospital’s dedicated Pediatric Liver Transplant Intensive Care Unit.
Rainbow
Children’s Hospital has established one of India’s leading pediatric liver transplant programmes, with centres in
Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru together completing 107 pediatric liver
transplants with an overall survival of 95%. The programme brings together
advanced transplant surgery, pediatric hepatology, intensive care, nutrition,
infection management and rehabilitation, enabling even critically ill and medically
complex children to receive comprehensive care through one specialised
pediatric transplant team.
About
Rainbow Children’s Medicare Limited
Rainbow
Children’s Medicare Limited network comprises of 26 hospitals, 6 OP clinics and
2 Dedicated IVF clinics in 11 cities
with a total bed capacity of 2,565 beds. Our Pediatric services operating under
the brand “Rainbow Children’s Hospital” includes newborn and pediatric
intensive care, pediatric multi-specialty services, pediatric quaternary care
(including organ transplantation); whereas our women care services under
“Birthright by Rainbow” offers perinatal care services which includes normal
and complex obstetric care, multi-disciplinary fetal care, perinatal genetic
and fertility care along with gynecology services.
Rainbow Children’s Hospital built on strong fundamentals of a multidisciplinary
approach with a full-time consultant led clinical service along with 24/7
commitment in a child centric environment. The company follows a hub-and-spoke
operating model where the hub hospital provides comprehensive outpatient,
inpatient care, with a focus on tertiary and quaternary services, while the
spokes provide 24/7 emergency care, large outpatient services and comprehensive
obstetrics, pediatric inpatient and level 3 NICU services. This model is
successfully operational at Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The endeavor is to
replicate this approach in Chennai and across the National Capital Region.
Subsequently Rainbow intends to expand into tier-2 cities of Southern India.
Rainbow
Children’s Hospital embraces a unique doctor engagement model, where doctors
work exclusively on a full-time, retainer basis. The doctors work in teams and
have 24/7 commitment, which is particularly important for children’s emergency,
neonatal, pediatric intensive care services and to support pediatric retrieval
services. The Company also operates the country’s largest pediatric DNB
training programme in private healthcare, offering post graduate residential
DNB and fellowship programme.
Please
visit www.rainbowhospitals.in for more information. You may also
reach out to:
Media Contact:
Soumya P
Rainbow
Children’s Hospital
Tel
: +91-8368543945
Email
: soumya.p@rainbowhospitals.in