India’s First Paediatric Liver Transplant for PFIC 13 Gives Eight-Year-Old New Life at Rainbow Children’s Hospital Chennai
Rainbow Children’s Hospital, India’s leading Paediatric multi-specialty and perinatal care hospital chain, has achieved a landmark in the nation’s medical history by performing India’s first live Paediatric liver transplant for Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis Type 13 (PFIC 13). The procedure was carried out on an eight-year-old boy from Thoothukkudi at the hospital’s state-of-the-art Center of Excellence for Paediatric Liver Transplant. Alongside this national first, the team successfully completed two additional rare Paediatric liver transplants on infants under one year of age, reinforcing Rainbow’s position as a pioneer in advanced Paediatric liver care in India.
The milestone surgeries were made possible by Rainbow’s experienced team of pediatric liver specialists and its advanced transplant facilities. Under the leadership of Dr. Mettu Srinivas Reddy, Lead Transplant Surgeon, and Dr. Somashekar, Senior Consultant Pediatric Hepatologist, the team included Dr. Prasanna Gopal, Transplant Surgeon, Dr. Karthik Narayanan and Dr. Nataraj Palaniappan, Senior Consultants in Paediatric Intensive Care, and Dr. Keerthivasan, Consultant Pediatric Gastroenterology & Hepatology. The team was further supported by Dr. Sathish Chander, who led the anaesthesiology department, along with skilled nursing staff and dedicated transplant coordinators. This multidisciplinary collaboration ensured the expertise and meticulous care required for these complex paediatric liver transplants.
Marking a moment that also went down in history as the India’s first pediatric live liver donor transplant for PFIC 13, Eight-year-old from Thoothukudi was battling Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis Type 13 (PFIC 13), an extremely rare inherited liver disorder, with only less than 8 cases reported in the literature making it one of the least common forms of pediatric cholestasis. With the timely and selfless partial organ donation from his mother, he is well and back to school.
Seven-month-old, from Pondicherry who developed severe liver disease in her infancy, was saved after her father lost 9 kilos in just one month to qualify as a living donor, before bravely undergoing an 11-hour transplant surgery. Five-month-old Baby from West Bengal born with Biliary Atresia was given a second chance at life when his mother partially donated her organ as a donor and was saved after a 14-hour transplant surgery.
Commenting on the success, Dr. Somashekara, Senior Consultant Pediatric Hepatologist, said “Pediatric Liver transplant is one of the most critical yet challenging areas in medicine. With our expertise and advanced infrastructure at Rainbow Children’s Hospital, we have today successfully treated and cured three rare Liver disorders. To see the children have a second chance at life with the support of their parents is truly heartwarming and fulfilling personally. These surgeries reaffirm Rainbow’s commitment to delivering world-class pediatric liver care with compassion, precision, and expertise.”
The Center of Excellence For Pediatric Liver Transplant at Rainbow Children’s Hospital is equipped with dedicated pediatric Liver ICUs, modular operation theatres, advanced imaging and diagnostic systems, infection-controlled transplant wards, and 24/7 multi-specialty support teams. The program integrates global best practices in pediatric liver transplantation with advanced technologies such as high-end anesthesia systems, precision surgical tools, and child-friendly infrastructure, ensuring safety, precision, and compassionate care for young patients.
