According to a report by DNA, Mumbai will see its first liver swap after patients and their families from Pune and Nairobi had exchanged portions of the organ. Meena Ranawade (33), a housewife from a village in Pune district donated a portion of her liver to Deepti Gadhvi (33), a newscaster from Nairobi, who is suffering from liver cancer. While Gadhvi's husband Mohammed Noorani donated a portion of his liver to Meena's husband Balu, was diagnosed with liver failure a few months ago. Here are some frequently asked questions about liver transplant answered.
A swap transplant is a where a member of a family of patient A donates to patient B, whose family member, in turn, donates to patient A. A similar swap had taken place in Delhi in 2009, but this is the first one to take place in Mumbai. Swap transplants have been taking place since 2009 but they usually happen for kidneys. Both Deepti and Balu could not find a match for their livers in their own families.
Deepti, who is a well-known anchor from a local news station in Nairobi, was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2014 when she was carrying her second child. By 2015, doctors said that her only hope was a liver transplant. She needed a donor but her husband's blood group was different than hers. Around the same time, Meena brought her husband Balu to Global Hospital as he was diagnosed with liver failure. Check out these 5 diet tips every kidney transplant patient should follow.
The doctors realised, after doing a detailed blood work that the couples could swap livers. On conducting comprehensive blood tests, we immediately understood that Meena and Mohammed could be swap donors for Deepti and Balu, said Dr Mohanka. The couples agreed and applied to the state authorization committee for a sanction which also arrived quickly. Both the patients are now back to normal. Balu will get to go home soon and Deepti will be in the city for a few more months. The first thing I asked the doctor after the surgery is if this means I am cancer-free and he said yes. I guess there is hope for everyone, Deepti said about the swap. Here are some rules about organ donation you should know.
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